Love Me Already
by NO LONGER CONTAGiOUS
Summary: An AU story of Zuko and his OC girlfriend, a Tokka baby, and Aang and Katara's... relationship.  The gAang is all grown up, sort of.  Rated a strong T.  Title is a 'Black Kids'  band  song name.
1. Bars and Babies

-Bars & Babies-

"So you dated this girl when we were in high school?" Katara asked. She held the fruity drink she was nursing slowly in her hand, and looked at it's umbrella, rather that look at her ex-boyfriend as he talked about his new girlfriend.  
>"Yeah, you probably don't remember her, it was freshman year, so only Sokka was at school with me."<br>"If she was your girlfriend in your freshman year, than you probably weren't dating, since that's impossible when you're a fourteen year old," Toph's voice said from behind him.  
>"No, it's not. We really dated. Now, if you guys aren't nice to her, I'll pick her over you. Seriously, I don't believe in bros before hos," Zuko said, widening his good eye.<br>"Uhm, I'm not your bro," Katara said.  
>Zuko looked at her, "I'd choose her over you too."<br>"Shut up Zuko, Katara doesn't seem too happy," Sokka said, putting his beer up to his lips and avoiding looking directly into Katara's eyes.  
>"Shut up Sokka, I'm glad Zuko has someone. Aang, Zuko and I were a real bunch of losers, you know that?"<br>"I'm not a loser," Toph cheered herself on, "I'm awesome."  
>"Wait," Sokka asked, turning to his left to look at Zuko, "What's her name?"<br>"Yori," Zuko said, sipping his Jack Daniels.  
>"Yori? She was weird, and her body didn't fit her right," Sokka said. "I thought you were talking about Erica," Sokka laughed, "She developed early. But I guess she either didn't know it, or didn't like wearing a bra."<br>Toph hit her boyfriend. "One, asshole, your girlfriend's sitting here. Two asshole, this girls body that you're drooling over, is fourteen years old, you pedophile."  
>Zuko laughed at his friends misfortune. "You two are perfect together. We just needed someone to beat Sokka when he says something stupid."<br>"Don't give her any ideas," Sokka said.  
>"Oh, now I need Zuko to come up with things for me?"<br>"You're so pregnant," Katara said, laughing.  
>Sokka and Zuko turned to look at a wide eyed Toph. Sokka spit his beer back into the bottle, and all over his hands and the table.<br>"So... what?" he stuttered like a child.  
>Toph's face turned bright right and her eyes twitched as she glared at Katara. "I'm not pregnant," she said to Sokka.<br>"Then why aren't you drinking?" he asked, indicating to her coke. "And why didn't you drink the coffee I brought for you this morning?"  
>"Becase... I, I don't want to get drunk like I usually do."<br>"And the coffee?" he asked.  
>"Coffee's bad for pregnant people?" Toph asked.<br>"Will you excuse us?" Sokka asked his sister and his best friend, getting out of the booth they were sitting in and grabbing Toph's wrist, trying to pull her from her seat.  
>"I'll get up my own fucking self, thanks," she growled, snatching her wrist from Sokka's grip.<br>They stormed out of the bar, yelling before they were even outside.  
>Zuko made a face and sipped more of his Jack. "Well then, that wasn't painfully awkward."<br>"Yeah, I didn't mean to say that," she said. "Well," she brightened quickly, "You should buy a bottle of something strong. Sokka'll probably be staying over at yours tonight, and might want to get drunk."  
>Zuko glared at Katara. "You're right. I'll wait 'til they get back, and then suggest that he stays at mine."<br>"I'm going to go buy more drinks. What do you want?"  
>"Jack," he said. "Thanks."<br>"Yeah, it's fine. I feel bad 'cause Toph told me not to tell. I'm gonna buy her a present when we leave."  
>"I thought you were going out to eat with Aang. Where is he anyway?"<br>"Work, he texted me earlier and told me he couldn't make it."  
>"Oh that's shit," Zuko said. "Do you want me to buy you dinner? Sokka can fend for himself at my house."<br>"No, go hang out with your girlfriend," Katara said, standing.  
>"She's at work-Tara, are you jealous?" he grinned, "It's okay if you are."<br>Katara blushed red, "Jack Daniels, right?"  
>Zuko laughed. "Yeah."<br>A/N - Okay, hello peeps.  
>This is kind of a short chapter, and I'm not really sure why Aang isn't in it, but I think this is going to be a good story. I think this is the first story I've written with people outside of high school, which is going to be hard, since I'm in high school. This story probably won't be about Toph and her baby (which someone ELSE should write about because I always want to read about that, but no one EVER writes about it. It'll mostly be about Zuko and the OC, because that's what I thought about first. Now that I think about it, it's weird that I made Toph and Sokka together, because I don't even ship Tokka.<br>Whatever.  
>Bye people.<br>Review please.  
>(Plus, also, if you've read any of my other stories, you'll know I make a lot of typing errors {which make me want to die when I reread, because I'm a grammar nerd} so if you see any, feel obliged to tell me, and I'll fix it when I can.<br>kthanksbye


	2. Taxi

-Taxi-  
>Sokka stormed back into the bar. His eyes were red and wet and his face was flushed. "Where's Katara?"<br>"She went to get more drinks-Are you okay, man?" Zuko asked, worriedly looking at Sokka across the table.  
>"Do I fucking look okay? What a stupid question, Agni, Zuko, would you be okay?"<br>Zuko buttoned his lips ad stared at his empty glass, trying to will it to fill its self.  
>Katara came back and handed out their drinks. "Wait, where's Toph?"<br>Both men glared at Katara. "I don't fucking know," Sokka growled.  
>"Look, why don't you stay at Zuko's tonight. Toph probably went home, and it's okay if you don't want to see her."<br>"Yeah, Tara's right," Zuko said. "Come over if you'd like."  
>"Well, it's okay to not see her now, but soon, you're going to have to see her."<br>"Tara, shut up, you're ruining it."  
>Sokka put his head in his hands and exhaled loudly. "I'm twenty six years old. I don't want a kid."<br>Katara looked at Zuko and whispered, "Don't buy any liquor, just take him to your house, and let him sleep in your bed, he'd be better off getting a long sleep, rather than getting him to drink all his problems away."  
>"Fine," Zuko said, standing. "Oi, Sokka, quit crying and get up."<br>"I'm not crying," Sokka said, looking up at Zuko.  
>"Get up, we're going to my house."<br>"Thanks," Katara said, looking up at Zuko.  
>Zuko nodded and kissed Katara on the top of the head.<br>"Zuko, we're not dating anymore, don't do that," she scolded. But Zuko ignored her, so she went over to her brother and hugged him tightly. "Sokka, it's going to be fine. Eventually, everything is going to work its self out, and it'll be okay, okay?"  
>"Okay," Sokka said, pulling from his sisters grip to follow Zuko.<br>Zuko had already hailed a cab, and was waiting for Sokka in the cold. "Hurry up," Zuko called, getting into the car.

Sokka followed him in. After Zuko told the driver the address, Sokka turned to Zuko. "Do I have to marry Toph now?"

Zuko looked at Sokka, "I don't know, I've never been in this situation. But, hey, on the bright side, at least it's Toph, and not some random stranger."

"Zuko, you're not good at this."

"Well," Zuko said slightly annoyed, but trying his hardest to be patient with Sokka. "I don't see why you would have to. It's not the thirties, people having kids when they're not married isn't that big of a deal."

"Yeah, but-"

"And, do you really think you'll be able to have a wedding in time to please Toph's parents without them realizing their daughter has swelled to the size of a blimp? And, to top it off, what do you think a pregnant, hormonal Toph is going to read into this?"

"Uhm, that I love her and the..." Sokka gulped audibly, "baby?"

Zuko make a buzzer sound with his mouth, "Not exactly, Toph's going to think that you're marrying her, not because you love her, but because it's what you're supposed to do. And then, Toph is going to kill you. See?"

"Oh Agni," Sokka moaned. "What am I meant to do?"

"Wait until Toph calms down, and then have a serious discussion about what you're going to do. Ask her what she wants, and all that jazz."

"Alright," Sokka said slowly.

"Do what I say and you're golden."

"Oh yeah, I thought you said you'd never been in this situation.

"I haven't, but this is what I'd do."

"So there isn't a baby Zuko running around here somewhere?"

"Nope, not here, there, or anywhere."

The driver arrived at Zuko's house that was just far enough away to be quiet, but close enough to still be called part of the city.

"Thank you," Zuko said, paying the man with a twenty dollar bill and leaving the taxi before he waited for his change. Sokka followed him, and they walked to Zuko's house.

"Your sister told me to put you to bed," Zuko said, shrugging off his jacket and throwing it on the couch.

"I am tired," Sokka admitted.

"You can take my bed if you want, I'll sleep on the couch," Zuko said. It was still pretty early anyway.

"Thanks," Sokka said.

"Yeah whatever, just let me get something to sleep in from there."

"Okay," Sokka said. They both walked upstairs, to Zuko's bedroom. Zuko rifled through his things to get something to wear, and changed in record time.

"G'night," he called to hi best friend as he left his room.

"Thanks again," Sokka called.

"Yeah, it's fine, man. We're practically brothers."

When Zuko got downstairs, he checked his phone from any new messages. He had a text from Katara, which was probably something about being sensitive with Sokka, which he'd already failed to do.

Hoping for a text from Yori, Zuko was miffed when he didn't get one and decided to have an early night.

oooooo

"Hey," Sokka said, padding into the living room, barefoot and only wearing a pair of boxers.

"Hi," Zuko said, squeezing his eyes shut, trying to go back to sleep and resume his dream.

"Your phone's been ringing, how have you not woken up, it's so loud."

Zuko snatched his phone from the coffee table. He had three missed calls from Yori an one from Katara. He redialed Yori's number (which, Agni, he had memorized) and waited for it to ring.

"Heeeeeeellooooo?" Yori sung out.

"H-Hey, Yori, you tried to call me?"

"Yeah! Are you stuttering Zukie, that's so cute," she cooed.

"Zukie?" he asked.

"Yes, you heard me correct. Now, anyway, I wanted to know how busy you were today."

"Well, do you remember Sokka from school?"

"Yeah... why?"

"Well, something's happened, and he's staying here, and I don't know if I can do anything today."

"Ugh how lame." Zuko could almost hear her pouting.

"Sorry Yori."

"Okay Zukie, I'll see you later then."

"Yeah, bye Yori. I'll call you later and see when we can meet next."

"Yeah, alright, I'll hear from you, then."

"Bye," Zuko said. He hung up the phone.

"Hey, thanks for letting me stay here," Sokka said, hastily putting on his jeans.

"What do you mean, where are you going?" Zuko asked.

"My house, Katara told me yesterday she went home and Toph was sitting outside of her apartment door, crying and then told that she and Toph are going to be going back to our house. So I'm going to rush over there and wait for them to get back so I can talk to Toph."

"Someone's eager," Zuko said, watching his friend clumsily dress himself.

"Shut up Zuko, now will you drive me or not?"

"Was that your way of asking?"

"Just put some pants on and get into your car."

oooooo

Toph gingerly opened the door. Katara's voice was shrilly going on and on behind her. "Katara," she said, mostly to get the girl away from her, "Do you think you could make me some tea?

"Yeah, of course Toph!" Katara said happily. Katara almost screamed when she went into the kitchen and saw Zuko's hulking frame leaning on the counter, drinking a tall glass of orange juice.

"Oh holy-"

"Shit?"

"I was going to say smokes. What are you doing here?" Katara hissed in a quiet voice.

"I drove Ponytail," he said simply.

"You should leave, they're going to want to talk in private."

"Then why are you here?"

"I brought Toph over!" she said, then realizing it was the exact same reason as Zuko, she added, "And she asked me to make her some tea."

"Don't you think if she knew I was here she would have asked me?"

"Yeah, well, she doesn't, and she asked me."

Zuko rolled his eyes and downed the rest of his orange juice.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Toph asked, looking st Sokka who was sitting on their bed.

"Toph-"

"Sokka, you need to leave before I really flip out on you. I haven't been feeling well lately as it is and I don't need-"

"You're pregnant, of course you're not feeling well," Sokka said jumping off the bed and walking over to Toph. He swept her hair out of her face.

Toph pulled away from his advances, "Sokka stop it!"

"Toph?" he asked, walking over to their bed, pregnant girlfriend in tow, and plopped down.

"What?" she growled.

"What do you want to do?" he asked in the sweetest voice he could muster.

"So, when are you seeing your lovely new girlfriend?" Katara asked, clearing her throat as she turned on the electric kettle.

"I don't know," Zuko said, I was supposed to see her today, but I told her Sokka had something important."

"So call her back and tell her that you can make it now."

"No, I'm just going to wait until she calls me again.

"Toph it's okay if you don't know what you want to do with the baby-"

"I'm going to keep it!" she said, trying to squirm out of Sokka's grip.

"It's not a doll, Toph-"

"I never cared much for dolls."

Zuko and Katara idly twiddling their thumbs and waiting for a fight to break out that they could referee.

Before Top could say anymore in the matter, Sokka captured her lips in his.

A/N - Read and review!

Also, this end bit with Toph and Sokka was shit. I'll make their interactions better from now on. And I'll probably not be writing at two thirty in the morning.

That might help.

Plus, read and review.

AISH, I for got to disclaim.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or anything like that~


	3. Brunch and Plans

-Brunch and Plans-

It was awkward. They sat there and waited for their food to come, each hoping they could get through their brunch without talking to each other too much.  
>"Do they not serve alcohol this early?" Zuko asked quietly, to no one in particular.<br>Katara looked up at him and narrowed her eyes, he was still looking at his empty plate. "Thanks for taking me out for brunch."  
>"I couldn't have let you stay there when they started doing... That."<br>Katara laughed and blushed a bit.  
>A waitress came over with their food and smiled a bit too long at Zuko. Katara glared at her.<br>"Thank you," he said, barely looking at her. "Hey, do you serve alcohol here?"  
>"Yes we have champagne and-"<br>"Do you have vodka?"  
>Katara snorted loudly.<br>"We have Bloody Mary's."  
>"Okay, cool, well can I have one of those, no celery, no ice or any of that shit-oh sorry, stuff, and could I have more vodka than tomato juice?"<br>She looked taken aback by his order. "Uhm, I don't know if we can do that but I'll try my best."  
>He smiled dazzlingly at her. "Oh and you bring some champagne for her?"<br>The waitress nodded and walked away.  
>"Would this really be easier if you're drunk?" Karata asked, miffed.<br>"Would what be easier? I think my two best friends would still be having a bastard child whether or not I was drinking-"  
>"I'm not talking about that! I'm talking about right now, as you get smashed while you eat a poached egg!"<br>"I'm not eating a poached egg, I'm eating a Caesar salad. You're eating a poached egg."  
>If looks could kill, Zuko would probably be in intensive care from this one.<br>"Look Katara, it's not like I'm drinking so being here with you would be any better, I already know you need copious amounts of alcohol for that."  
>Her eyes widened in anger and he laughed, "I'm kidding Tara I swear."<br>She kept glaring at him. "Tara eat your egg and she up."  
>oooooo<p>

Hey  
>Hi Zukie<br>Zuko rolled his eyes at the juvenile nickname.  
>What are you doing tomorrow?<br>I don't know. What are you doing tomorrow?  
>Going out with you?<br>Yeah that sounds about right  
>Well, what do you want to do<br>I don't know I'm painfully indecisive  
>Okay I'll pick.<br>Cool then what is it?  
>It's a surprise.<br>Uugh tell me tell me tell me!  
>Haha no. I'll see you tomorrow.<br>Zuko you suck just tell me  
>Bye Yori<br>oooooo  
>"Aang?" Katara asked, answering her phone.<br>"Hey!" the childish voice on the other end said excitedly.  
>"Hi," she said, dropping her keys on the table and walking back to the couch, where she flopped back to have a conversation with Aang. Her grocery shopping could wait.<br>"I'm sorry I keep canceling everything."  
>"Oh, that's fine. You have work, it's not a big deal."<br>"Yeah, but still... Do you want to go to dinner?"  
>"Dinner?" she asked. She looked up at the wall clock above her tv. "It's like, nine thirty Aang."<br>"Well, then at least open the door."  
>"What?" she asked, her face getting a little bit brighter.<br>She went to her front door and opened it to see a smiling Aang.  
>"Hi!" he said happily, pulling her into a hug, "I haven't seen any of you guys in ages."<br>"Yeah, I know, we all hang out almost everyday."  
>"Really?" he asked, taking off his shoes and walking into her apartment.<br>"Yes really."  
>Aang strode into the kitchen, and helped himself to a glass of water. "When's the next time you're all going out together?"<br>"I don't know, maybe tomorrow, if Toph and Sokka ever get from out of their bed."  
>"How are Toph and Sokka?" he asked as they walked to the living room.<br>Katara debated whether or not to tell Aang, and figured she'd let all of her friends see his shocked face.  
>"They're good, I guess. Why don't I call everyone to see what they're up to now. Whatever they're doing can be canceled."<br>"No, no it's fine-" Aang began, but Katara already began to call her brother with the phone on speaker.  
>After ringing what seemed like a million times, Sokka picked sounding as disgruntled as ever. "What do you want Katara?"<br>Katara giggled, "Just to chat, brother dearest."  
>"Hang up the phone!" she heard Toph whine in the background.<br>Aang blushed when he realized what must have been going on the other end of the phone call.  
>"Aang's here too!"<br>"Twinkles?" Toph asked, ripping the phone from Sokka's hands.  
>"H-Hi Toph," Aang said shyly.<br>"Toph, we want to know what you two are doing tomorrow. We should all go out, since Aang can finally make it."  
>"Uhm, yeah we can be there," Toph said.<br>Sokka's uncharacteristically low voice wafted to the phone, "Come on Toph."  
>"Okay, that's a tone you never want to hear your brother use," Katara said.<br>"Yeah, we can make it!" Toph said, "Call back-Ahhh-later and tell me what we're doing."  
>"Yeah, at first it was funny, but now this is disgusting," Katara said to Aang.<br>"Yeah. Hang up."  
>"Bye," Katara said and quickly ended the call.<br>They looked at each other and laughed, "Let's hope Zuko's not doing the same!"  
>Katara dialed Zuko's number next and he picked up right after the first ring.<br>"Hello?"  
>"Hey Zuko it's Katara and Aang."<br>"Hey guys."  
>"What are you doing tomorrow?" Aang asked.<br>"I have a date."  
>"Well, we're all going out," Katara said.<br>"I can't," he said boredly.  
>"Why don't you bring her with you?"<br>"No."  
>"Alright, good then, we'll see you tomorrow."<br>"NO!"  
>"We'll text you the details later."<br>"NO!"  
>"Bye bye then," Katara said with obvious zeal.<br>"I hate you both!"  
>Katara hung up the phone.<p> 


	4. Dinner And Dates

-Dinner and Dates-

Zuko groaned as he stood outside of Yori's apartment door. She lived only a few blocks from Toph and Sokka's apartment. It was a bit run down but looked like an old building. He was tired from walking up the seven flights to her door and just wanted her to open it.

"Hi!" she called through the door.

"Open the door," he growled.

"Yeah, wait, my bra is doing stupid things."

"That doesn't make me want to wait at all."

She giggled cutely and opened the door a crack. "Look you can come in, just close your eyes, okay?"

"No promises," he joked.

She slammed the door on him.

"Okay, okay Yori I'll close my eyes."

"Okay, wait don't close your eyes, you need to help me, my bra like, isn't-" she screamed.

Zuko stood outside, now accepting that he would be waiting here for a while.

"Okay, I'm going to go put on a new, less shitty bra. And I ripped a hole in my dress, right around my tits, so I'm just going to change. You can come in just seriously, I'm like, not wearing clothes. Your eyes must be closed until I say you can open them."

"Yeah, yeah let me in."

She open the door before his eyes were closed.

She screamed and ran down the hall.

"Agni! Why can't you close your fucking eyes?" she called from her room down the hall.

"I'm sorry," he said, grinning like an idiot.

"So where are we going?" she asked. "Like how dressed up do I have to be? I just ripped the only fancy dress I own so the next best thing are some hipster shorts and a floral shirt.

"I don't know, it's whatever my friends want."  
>"Your friends?" she asked. "Why would your friends be there?"<br>"Oh, my friend Aang has been really busy lately and my friends want to go out with him and my friend Katara told me told bring you."  
>"Well that's weird," she said, walking out of the room putting on a pair of high heeled booties. "How do I look?"<br>"Great," he said, chauffeuring her out of the room and into the hallway. "How's that bra working out for you?"  
>She narrowed her eyes at him. "Shut up. Oh, how are we getting there?"<br>"We'll probably take a taxi 'cause I always drink when we go out."  
>"Oh, so your an alcoholic?" she asked, taking his hand and walking down the stairs.<br>"I don't drink a lot, but I drink."  
>"Whatever you say. Oh crap!" she exclaimed.<br>"What?" he asked.  
>"I left my bag by the door and my keys are in my bag and my neighbor has my spare keys and she's old and has been in bed since five thirty."<br>He looked at her, "Just stay at my house."  
>"We've been dating for a week darling," she said, skipping ahead of him, "That would be grossly inappropriate."<br>"We've known each other since high school," he pointed out.  
>She looked at him. "Yeah, okay."<br>"That was fast."  
>"All I needing was some persuading."<br>He smiled at her. It was going to be an easy relationship.  
>He took the hand that wasn't being held by her and poked her bun. "What's with the hair?"<br>"Yeah, I know it's boring, but my coworker was dying it for me, and the bitch decided to play a joke on me and dyed it purple. Personally, I think it looks wicked, but your friends might not like it, so I put it up where you couldn't really see it."  
>"Purple?"<br>She laughed. "Yup!"  
>oooooo<br>Katara, Aang, Toph and Sokka were all already sitting at the table in the Indian restaurant they were having dinner in.  
>"Hey," Zuko greeted everyone at the table, pulling out Yori's seat for her.<br>"Hi guys. I'm Yori."  
>Aang waved brightly at her.<br>"Hi Yor," Sokka said.  
>She looked at him and her eyes widened. "Sokka! Wow it's been ages! Still rocking the ponytail, I see."<br>"It suits me," he shrugged.  
>Yori smiled at him. Zuko poked her cheekbones, "Don't smile too much, your face'll break." She rolled her eyes.<p>

Toph grunted in her seat, "Well then, I'll introduce myself. I'm Toph, that's Aang and that's Katara, Sokka's sister."

"Nice to meet you guys, I'm Yori."

A nice Indian waiter came along and took their orders, and after he left, they all began to talk.

"So, Yori, where do you work?" Katara asked.

"I'm a graphic designer. But right now, I've been doing a lot of advertising for a large company."

"Do you live in the city?" Sokka asked.

"Yeah, apparently, I live a few blocks from you, so says Zuko."

"So you live in an apartment?" Katara asked.

"Yeah. The old greenish one on Montgomery Boulevard."

The appetizers came and Zuko noticed that Yori wasn't touching her food.

"So you went to school together?" Toph asked.

Yori nodded, "Yeah. I went for freshman year, and then we moved and then came back for the last half of then senior year."

"Oh, so that's why I've never seen you."

"This is so cool!" Sokka exclaimed, "I never get to see kids from high school."

"Me neither but that's because I went to so many."

"So how did you and Zuko find each other?" Toph asked, stuffing her face.

Yori smiled, "Supermarket."

"At a supermarket?" Katara said, "How on earth did you guys recognize each other?"

Yori narrowed her eyes, "Is that a joke, or are you just being stupid?"

"Excuse me?" Katara asked.

"The scar's pretty big."

Katara nodded, "Oh yeah."

Toph snickered.

"Yeah, it was awesome, he walked into my cart, and I got so mad, because he wound up smashing a bottle of cheap wine I had in there and it got all over my shoes and my stuff, but he was seeing shades and I though he was a pretentious twat for wearing shades inside in the winter, but then he turned to me and took off his shades and I yelled "Oh holy shit!" but I was in the baby food aisle and a bunch of mothers glared at me."

"But I didn't recognize her and she hugged me and I pulled her off of me, and she was like, "Zuko!" and it was all really weird."

"And then I told him it was me and then everything was wonderful."

"That's kind of adorable," Sokka said.

"Yeah I know." Yori narrowed her eyes and turned to Zuko, "I think you need to buy me new shoes."

Zuko rolled his eyes, "We can go shopping next week."

"I was kidding but yeah, you can buy me things if you'd like."

"That one is quiet," Yori said, turning to Zuko, and talking like he was her father and she was his kid.

"Aang? Aang's not a very quiet person. Aang! Why are you quiet?" Zuko asked his friend.

Aang just shrugged. "I don't know."

Zuko turned to Yori and reported, "He doesn't know."

Katara snorted at Zuko and Yori.

The same waiter came back and handed everyone their dishes.

"You didn't order anything?" Zuko asked Yori.

She nodded, "I ordered a mango lassi!"

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

Zuko began to remember his freshman year all too well, and he really hoped that this... whatever it was with Yori wasn't going to be anything like that again.

They all partook on idle, meaningless conversation as they ate (and drank) their dinner. They all wished they hadn't come, and just went to bed early instead of being here. And it showed.

"Why aren't you drinking?" Yori asked. "I thought you said you always drink when you go out!"

"That's right," Toph said, "Where's your Jack Daniels?"

He shrugged, "They don't serve Jack here. I don't know why you picked this place Katara."

"Shut up Zuko," Katara said through gritted teeth.

"Calm down Tara, I was kidding. I think I brought you here one time."

"Did you?" she asked innocently, even though she knew that he had, and that was the only reason she chose his restaurant.

"Yeah," he grinned knowingly at her, remembering the things that had happened after dinner that night, "I can't believe you forgot."

"You two used to date?" Yori asked, seeing the unmistakable look in Katara's eyes.

"Yeah," Zuko said, "for three years."

"Wow, that's like forever in dog years!"

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, that was supposed to be cute and childish, but came out stupid. Don't ever tell anyone I said that." Zuko laughed loudly, and soon, Toph, Sokka, and Aang were laughing too. So was Yori.

"I'm goi ng to the bathroom," Katara said, standing and leaving the table.

"She hates me," Yori said.

"No she doesn't," Sokka said.

"She's just..." Aang began.

"Frigid?" Yori supplied.

"Yeah, frigid."

Yori stifled a yawn with her hands and rested her head on Zuko's shoulder.

"Tired?" he asked. She nodded.

"I've had so much work to do lately, there's never anytime for sleep."

Zuko smiled knowingly.

Katara came back from the bathroom and Aang said, "Why don't we go somewhere else for dessert?"

They all agreed, and once the check was paid, they ere off to wander the streets looking for a bakery, or ice cream truck, or wherever sweets were sold.

Yori took Zuko's hand as they walked. They lagged behind the rest of the gAang.

"Why didn't you eat?" Zuko asked her softly.

"I'm not hungry," she said. "Don't worry about me."

She pulled his face down and planted soft kiss on his lips. "I'm fine now Zuko."

Ahead of them, Toph and Sokka walked, holding hands as well. They hadn't talked much about the baby. They hadn't talked much about anything really. They had slept until Sokka woke and had to go to work. When Toph woke, after noticing Sokka was gone and walking to her closet to take out something to wear around the house, since she didn't have work that day, that she realized she wouldn't be able to go to the dojo anymore and moped around angrily until Sokka came home and they got ready to go out.

"How are you feeling?" Sokka asked.

"Fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure."

Sokka thought for a few seconds before he asked, "Have you made a doctors appointment yet?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I forgot."

"I'll make one in the morning then."

Toph exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding in. "Isn't there something else we can talk about?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, just anything we would have talked about of this date happened four days ago."

Sokka began to think, and think, and think, but he couldn't think of anything to say to Toph, so he just pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"So, how much longer will you have time to spend with your friends Aang?" Katara asked, "When's your next rime consuming deadline?"'

"Soon," Aang grumbled. Being and editor took a lot out of him, he was always locked up at his job until the morning, and then he'd take his job with him home. He brightened, "But, hey, I'm here now, aren't I?"

Katara nodded, "Hey look, there's a gelato stand right up there."

"Do you like gelato?"

"I love it!" she said, walking a little bit faster.

Aang smiled at her excitement and he sped up with her.

A/N - Yeah, okay. That's it. Review. NOW.


	5. Awake

I just realized I've never disclaimed, so here it is.

I don't own Avatar, but I do have a room that's all to myself since my sister is leaving for college in August~

-Awake-

Yori woke to coldness. There was no one in the bed next to her. Her eyes fluttered open as her hands desperately reached out for Zuko's warmth. She could hear his laughter from across the room.  
>"Miss me?"<br>He stopped tying on his tie and let it hang from his collar. He crawled across the expansive bed to place a kiss on Yori's lips.  
>"Ew, I just woke up. I still have morning breath."<br>Zuko shrugged, "I don't care."  
>She smiled to herself as he sat on the edge of the bed and did up his tie. Her eyes slowly flitted closed again, but Zuko thought she was awake.<br>"Yori, what do you want for breakfast? To tell you the truth, there's probably not a lot down there. I'd just take you out for breakfast, but I haven't got the time."  
>"Shhh!" she called. But after a few seconds of silence, she said, "I can't believe you can sleep in this bed. It's massive. It must be so lonely. Even now, despite that I'm talking to you, I feel as though I'm the only one who exists. Don't you ever feel like that? You know in 'Alice in Wonderland' when she falls? I feel like that. Like I could roll forever."<br>Zuko didn't say anything, but he crawled under the blanket with Yori. "I don't want to go to work. I want to stay in bed with you forever."  
>She giggled, "Go to work. Make some money so you can buy me those shoes you owe me." He laughed and nodded. "It's really comfy here, though. I don't ever really want to leave."<br>Zuko kissed her on the nose and got out of bed again. Yori got out of bed and looked around for her shorts. "Do you know where I left them after I took them off last night?"  
>Zuko said no and then left the room, muttering about hearing the doorbell that Yori didn't hear at all. She abandoned looking for her shorts and went to Zuko's closet to find something to wear. She quivkl found a large sweater. She sniffed it quickly and then, felt like a massive creep for doing so. His sweatshirt smelled like cinnamon and even though she didn't like the spice, the smell drove her wild. She pulled it on and ran to the front room to meet him.<br>Katara stood in the doorway. She stopped talking and looked at Yori.  
>"What are you wearing?" she asked.<br>"Zuko's sweater," she said, holding onto Zuko's arm.  
>"Did he buy it for you?"<br>"No I needed something to wear, so I just violated his closet," she said simply.  
>"Katara," Zuko said, gently, letting go of Yori to take Katara's hand. "Calm down. Have some coffee."<br>Katara nodded and followed Zuko into the kitchen.  
>Yori was pissed that Zuko just left her to aid Katara. She slumped onto his couch and sighed. She pulled the sweater over her head and walked back to his bedroom. This time, she found the shorts easily (they were in the bathroom) and she put them on. Her coat and shoes were in the living room and she passed by the kitchen on her way to them. "I'm leaving now." she quickly told Zuko. He jumped up and followed her to the living room.<br>"You're leaving?" he asked.  
>"Yeah."<br>"What about breakfast?"  
>"I'm not hungry."<br>"You're never hungry."  
>"Yeah. And that's why I'm not right now." She opened the door once her shoes were on and left the apartment, running to the elevator, but after seeing that it was on the basement floor when she was on the twenty second, she decided to just take the stairs.<br>oooooo  
>Zuko 'wisely' (in his opinion) decided to call Yori after she bolted from his apartment. He wish he could have ran after her, but that would be rude to Katara, so he just stayed and talked to the latter and when she went to the bathroom (which was maybe two hours later), he called her.<br>"Hello?" she asked. She must not even have had time to look at the caller ID.  
>"Hey Yori."<br>She almost groaned, "Look Zuko, I'm at work and I can't really talk, I'm incredibly busy."  
>"Okay," he said, his ears ringing from the amount of noise on the other end, "Then what time do you have lunch? We could eat together."<br>"I'm busy," she repeated, "I'm working through lunch now hang up Zuko. Shouldn't you be at work too?"  
>"Shit!"<br>She hang up the phone.  
>oooooo<br>Work was over and Yori was walking home. Her job was almost a mile from her apartment from her house, but she had never realized that until she had walked half way home. The walk was even worse because she insisted on wearing very high heels to make her look slightly taller than a thirteen year old. She was a few blocks from her favorite Chinese place, so she decided to get dinner before she got home.  
>Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she reached in and got it. She groaned when she read the caller ID.<br>"Hi," she moaned dully.  
>"Hey, Yori," Zuko said from the other end. "Where are you, I want to know if you want to catch dinner. I promise none of my friends will be there."<br>"I can't. Sorry Zuko. I'll see you another time, okay?" she hung up before he could say anything else.  
>She put her phone on silent and into her bag, and walked to her favorite Chinese restaurant and ordered a smorgasbord of food that she would never normally eat, and speed walked to her house so she could stuff her face.<br>A/N-  
>Yeah, aright, that's it. Bye. Review.<p> 


	6. Ramen and Rudeness

-Ramen and Rudeness-  
>Yori had finally decided to stop dodging Zuko. She invited him to her house for Agni knows what, and he had accepted, probably just glad to know that she didn't hate his guts or anything. When he rung the bell he was twenty minutes early, and she laughed at his eagerness. Zuko was just so cute sometimes.<br>She opened the door for him, "Hey."  
>He smiled and swooped down to kiss her, before handing her a bag with two bottles of wine.<br>"Yay, alcohol."  
>He laughed at her, and then kissed her again.<br>They went inside of her lavender apartment and he sat down on the overstuffed deep purple couch.  
>She walked over to him after setting down the wine and sat on his lap. "I'm sorry."<br>"What for?" he asked, wrapping his arms low around her waist.  
>She shook her head. "I'm sorry," she repeated.<br>He just hugged her.  
>"Now," she said, pulling her head away, "I hope you weren't expecting to be fed because I can't cook for shit."<br>"Then let me take you out for dinner-"  
>"No." she said firmly.<br>"Why not?"  
>"Oh!" she exclaimed, "I have ramen! Let's eat instant ramen."<br>"Instant ramen? I've never had it before."  
>Yori hit him in the head. "I hate rich people. You've never had instant ramen before? Never, like, Maruchan or Nissin?"<br>"What?"  
>"Oh Agni, you are too much, rich boy." She jumped off of his lap and went to the kitchen to boil some water.<br>"Don't call me rich boy," Zuko called from the couch. Her apartment was very small, and both the living room and kitchen were open, so he could see her in the kitchen.  
>"Take your shoes off, rich boy."<br>He did as he was told, but mumbled under his breath as he did.  
>Yori filled her old, black tea kettle with water, and after she put it on the stove, she grabbed the only two matching bowls she owned. She placed the bowls on the table and took two pairs of chopsticks from her utensil drawer and placed the next to the bowls.<br>"Put them by the door," she said as she reached in a cabinet for the packages of ramen. The water, (which was already hot from the tap before she put it in the kettle) boiled and the steam made the apartment fill with noise. She quickly shut off the water and poured it over the ramen before adding in the "seasoning".  
>She brought both (hot) bowls out with her and placed theme on the coffee table. Zuko took the pair of chopsticks she handed him and poked the hard rectangle of noodles.s<br>"Am I meant to eat this?" he asked.  
>"No, dumbass, wait for it to hydrate," she said, trying to break her noodles apart, but they were still too hard. "I think we should have wine, just so this can be the classiest meal you've ever had, Zuuks." She skipped into the kitchen and grabbed the bottle opener and pulled the cork out of the bottle, and grabbed two wine glasses. She filled them, almost to the brim and slowly walked them over to 'Zuuks'.<br>"Yori, what the hell is that?" he asked, looking at the almost spilling glasses.  
>"I told you Zuko, a classy dinner." She placed the glasses down, picked up her chopsticks and pointed them at Zuko, "I think you can pull apart your ramen now," she said as she did just that.<br>"Pull it apart?" he asked. She groaned and did it for him.  
>"Ready?" she asked as he put his chopsticks into the bowl.<br>"No, not really. I'm a little bit afraid that it's going to kill me."  
>She rolled her eyes as he hesitantly mixed it in with his utensils. She groaned and took a mouthful of noodles with her chopsticks, and shoved them into his mouth. He coughed and sputtered loudly.<br>"Agni, it's so salty!"  
>She laughed and began to eat her food.<br>oooooo  
>After they were done, and the bowls were in the sink, Zuko was sitting on the couch with Yori's head in his lap.<br>"So you enjoyed the ramen, right?" she asked, her eyes closed.  
>"Yeah, after you get past the first wave of salty disgustingness, it's pretty good."<br>"Exactly!" she said.  
>He laughed, and then leaned down to kiss Yori. She grabbed his neck and pulled him down closer, and after he pulled back up in pain, she sat up and began kissing him again. Her tongue quickly pressed against his lips and forced entry inside. As he began to tug up the hem of her shirt, his phone rang.<br>She pulled away and he pulled it out of his pocket.  
>She groaned and leaned back against the arm of the couch.<br>He looked at the caller ID and began, "It's-"  
>"Just answer it, and shut up," she said, tugging her shirt back down and wiping her lips.<br>Zuko thanked her and walked to the bathroom to answer his phone call in private.  
>AN- Yeah, just a short one, because I want to go to bed. I always imagine that Zuko never has instant ramen or jello, or poor people shit like that. Okay, that's it, I'm tired and I've going to bed, since it's 1:25 am in New York right now.  
>Goodnight!<br>review!


	7. Sleep and Sorbet

-Sleep and Sorbet-  
>Yori woke up in the middle of the night and looked around. Zuko was sleeping next to her and she wondered how they had gotten this way. She hadn't had that much to drink, just that one wine glass filled to the brim, and then the rest of Zuko's while he was on the phone. Then, a feeling she hated feeling bubbled up inside her. She wanted to throw his phone into the trash.<br>And then set the trashcan on fire.  
>Agni, she was jealous of a phone.<br>Well, anyway, she looked at Zuko's clothed sleeping form. He looked cute sleeping. His face had some color to it, since it was so hot in her bedroom, because the heater was old and shit, and constantly on the fritz. She wiped his hair from his forehead so she could better admire his face.  
>"Mmrhm," he snorted and swatted her hand away.<br>"Hey," she hissed quietly. She pecked his forehead and then resumed looking at him.  
>He was perfect. With or without the scar, Zuko was a perfect specimen of man. His jet black hair complimented his lightly colored skin and his strong jaw made the shape of his face wonderful.<br>"Yori?" Zuko asked sleepily.  
>"Who else would be in my bed?"<br>"It's not morning, is it?"  
>"No. You can go back to sleep."<br>"Why are you awake?" he asked stretching.  
>"I was admiring your face, now go back to sleep."<br>"What's there to admire?" he asked quietly, his voice muffled by the blanket they were sharing.  
>"Zuko, you know you're gorgeous, right?" she said in the most serious and grown up voice she could muster.<br>"Shouldn't this conversation be happening the other way around?" he asked, his eyes still snapped shut.  
>"No. This conversation shall take place in which ever direction it happens to take place in."<br>"That doesn't make any sense."  
>She glowered at him and kissed him, pulling on his bottom lip as she retracted. He made a muffled sound and she giggled.<br>"What time is it?"  
>"Late o' clock. Go back to sleep, Sleeping Beauty."<br>"Nicknames? You sound like Toph."  
>"Does she nickname you a lot?"<br>Zuko nodded.  
>"Well, we will have to have a long discussion about you, Zuuks, so, be ready for a recap."<br>Zuko grumbled something unintelligible and pulled her blanket over his head.  
>"All right all right I'll let you sleep. Happy?"<br>"Ecstatic," he grumbled.  
>"You're so mean Zuko I'm letting you sleep at my house you should be more grateful."<br>"I let you sleep at my house. You were the opposite of grateful. You just stormed out like you were mad at me."  
>"I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at the... Whatever it doesn't matter you should go to sleep. You probably have work in the morning. Go to bed."<br>Zuko sat straight up. "No, we're talking about this now if you don't mind."  
>"I do mind. I have work in the morning."<br>He groaned. "Were going to talk about this."  
>"What I can't dislike people now because we're dating?"<br>"Dislike who?"  
>"Katara."<br>"How could you dislike Katara?"  
>"How? How? She's awful. She's like the meanest person ever. I can't stand her!"<br>"What did she do to you?"  
>Yori grumbled. "Nothing to me. But she's all over you, you haven't ever noticed that?"<br>"It's just because we used to date. Three years is a lot to forget."  
>"No it's not. I've dated people for longer and I don't fawn over them when I see them. I swear with you two it's like you're fucking."<br>"What?"  
>"Well it is."<br>"Yori, I'm not having sex with Katara."  
>Yori looked at Zuko with narrowed angry eyes. "I'm not saying you are. But you two are too nice to each other and I can't stand it. The way you two talk and joke with each other makes me feel bad, like I'm not good enough for you. What about that don't you understand?"<br>"Katara's just my friend. I laugh and joke with Sokka, that doesn't mean I'm fucking him."  
>"It's not the same Zuko, you know that. You didn't fuck Sokka in the past."<br>"It doesn't make any sense why you feel this way. Katara and I don't like each other anymore, okay?"  
>Yori sulked on her side of the bed.<br>"I'm going to sleep on the couch I'll see you in the morning."  
>"You're being a ridiculous. Can't you just understand that I do not like her. I used to but that was four years ago and now I like you. It's as simple as that."<br>"But Zuko," Yori began as she got out of bed and stood, "You used to like me more than four years ago and now you like me again, so why can't you like Katara? Why is it so absurd to think that people can still like or love each other even after they're not together?"  
>He looked at her and groaned, "Just take my word for it okay?"<br>"No it's fine. I'll just sleep on the couch instead."  
>Yori left the room and went to her cupboard in her bathroom to get a blanket and after about 60 seconds of trying to fall asleep and failing, Yori got up and looked in her fridge for something to eat and was more than relieved to find sorbet and took that back with her to the couch. She wanted to cry, but that would be absolutely ridiculous so she substituted her tears for raspberry sorbet.<br>After about three minutes, Zuko came out and sat next to her. She didn't say anything to him and he didn't say anything to her about it. He just asked her if he could have some and she sourly fed him a spoonful. He thanked her and as she dug the spoon into the container again he kissed her, and, much to his surprise she kissed him back. They stayed like that for a while until Zuko began to lay her down on the couch and he pulled his shirt off in one fluid motion. Without taking off Yori's shirt he began to feel underneath it, and soon, that was gone too.  
>oooooo<br>"Hey man," Zuko said as Sokka walked into the bar.  
>Sokka nodded in his direction, "Is Aang coming too?"<br>Zuko shrugged, "If he can make it."  
>Sokka nodded and ordered a rum and coke.<br>Sokka eyed Zuko's glass and snorted, "Is Jack Daniels all you ever drink?"  
>Zuko laughed, "I drink whatever I can get my hands on, but Jack happens to be my drink of choice," and he downed the rest of the glass and ordered another.<br>Sokka laughed at his friend.  
>"So, how's Yori?" Sokka asked, accepting his drink from the bartender.<br>Zuko smiled the obvious, 'We had sex' smile and Sokka laughed, but then he quickly scowled, "I hate sex. Sex makes babies."  
>It was Zuko's turn to laugh and he did, "Yori's great, aside from the sex. She's kind of a kid though. Except she curses a lot. But she got mad at me yesterday."<br>Sokka turned his head, "What?"  
>"She's j-e-a-l-o-u-s," Zuko said, spelling out the last word.<br>"Of what?"  
>"Your sister."<br>Sokka laughed, "Why?"  
>"'Cause we're nice to each other. She thinks Katara and I are having sex. She was like, 'It's like you two are fucking!'"<br>"Uhm, please refrain from using the word fucking when referring to my sister please."  
>"Yeah," a voice said from behind Zuko, "It's gross."<br>Zuko turned to look at her, "Fuck!"  
>She laughed loudly. "Hey Ponytail."<br>"Hey Yor."  
>Yori kissed Zuko on the cheek.<br>"Why are you here?" Zuko asked frantically, my sister called me yesterday and wanted to hang out today." She turned to the bartender and asked, "Can I have four shots of tequila?"  
>The boys both looked at her.<br>"My sister sucks." And even more to their surprise when the bartender came she quickly downed all four shots.  
>"None for her?" Sokka laughed.<br>"She thinks I'm in the bathroom." she kissed Sokka on the cheek, "Bye Ponytail."  
>She began to walk off when Zuko grabbed her wrist, "Hey, what about me?"<br>She grinned and put her lips next to his and before they touched she pulled away. "Bye Zuuks."  
>And then, Yori left to go see her sister.<br>Sokka looked at Zuko and laughed, "She's nice."  
>"Yeah, to you."<br>Sokka reached into his pocket and pulled out his vibrating phone, and as he read a text from Aang, Zuko took this moment to pull out his own phone and texted Yori;  
>-What I don't get to meet lovely Yori's lovely sister?<br>-Oh you can meet her alright.  
>Zuko read the text over and over, trying to make sense of it. And a moment later, after Sokka told him that Aang was coming for sure, Yori came over, pulling a girl who looked a lot like her, but older and larger, to the bar.<br>"This is the guy that asked about you!" she exclaimed, indicating to Zuko.  
>"What are you-" he began.<br>"How could he have asked you about me?" her sister groaned.  
>"When I went to the bathroom!"<br>"Oh yeah?"  
>"Yeah."<br>"The bathrooms not near the bar."  
>"Yeah I know, but I went to buy a drink before I went to the bathroom."<br>"Why would you buy a drink right before you went to the bathroom? If you have to pee, drinking something doesn't make that go away you know. Unless you didn't have to pee..."  
>Yori glared daggers at her sister, "Oh fuck you. I didn't even go to the bathroom. I was trying to do something cute and pranky and you fucked it up, so, thank you."<br>"Pretty girls don't swear."  
>Yori glared daggers some more. "Whatever, Tiffany, this is Zuko, my boyfriend."<br>"You were trying to set me up with your boyfriend? That's so weird."  
>"Nice to meet you Tiffany," Zuko said extending his hand to her.<br>She ignored it, turned to Yori and said, "My boss was supposed to call me about an hour ago so I'm going to go call him now and see what's up." and promptly left the bar.  
>"She's a nightmare," Yori said, taking Zuko's newly refreshed glass of Jack Daniels and sipping it.<br>Zuko eyed his glass, then he eyed his girlfriend and asked, "You like Jack Daniels?"  
>She shrugged, "Yeah I guess."<br>He blinked once. Twice. "I think I may love you."  
>Sokka peered over from Zuko's shoulder and clarified, "Jack Daniels is Zuko's drink of choice."<br>Yori grinned, "Oh, cool." She set down Zuko's glass and stood in between their bar stools. "So Ponytail, what were you guys talking about?"  
>Sokka grunted, "Why do I have to tell? She's your girlfriend!"<br>"Twll me what?" she asked turning to Zuko.  
>"We were talking about how much Sokka hates sex."<br>She turned to face Sokka again and gave him a look and then turned back to Zuko, "That has nothing to do with me beig your girlfriend, what were you talking about?"  
>Zuko didn't say anything.<br>"What was it?"  
>"If I tell you'll just be mad."<br>"Just tell me or I'll go mad!"  
>"We were just talking about sex in general."<br>"What kind of dumb shit lie is that? What kind of fucking men just have conversations about sex? What, did you ask him how long it takes him to get it up? God Zuko, just tell me shit when I ask about it. I already fucking guessed what you were talking about, I'm not an imbecile. It's not even that big of a deal. If I had any friends I would have already told them that we slept together, and probably that I feel like a- whatever, I'm going to go find my sister."  
>"Feel like a what?" he asked.<br>"Shut up. Look, I'll see you later. Bye. Bye Ponytail."  
>"Bye Yor, again."<br>And then Yori walked out of the bar to find her sister.  
>Sokka and Zuko exchanged worried looks. "She does curse a lot."<br>"What the fuck! She's so annoying!"  
>"And so do you," Sokka said, mostly to himself. "But, whatever, Zuko, she's had a ton to drink. Calm down."<br>Zuko just downed the rest of his Jack.  
>"Hey guys," Aang said walking into the bar and taking that bar stool next to Sokka.<br>"Hey," Sokka said, "You just missed Yori."  
>"Yeah, lucky you," Zuko snorted.<br>"What happened?" Aang asked, ordering a water from the bartender.  
>"Yori came in with her sister, and then she had a lot of tequila and she yelled at Zuko."<br>While Aang was laughing at Zuko, and his face turned red he leaned on the bar and sourly said, "So, Sokka, tell me again how the baby is!"  
>"The baby?" Aang asked.<br>"Yeah, his baby."  
>"What?" Aang asked, spitting out his water.<br>"Yup, Sokka and Toph are having a baby."  
>"What?" he said again, louder. "What? Why didn't you tell me?"<br>"Stop talking about it!" Sokka said, putting his head down on the bar.  
>"Even if we don't talk about it, little Toph, who is three years younger than you, and in the prime of her youth, will be having your bastard child, so, we can not talk about it, if you want."<br>"Well," Sokka said, turning to Aang, "Zuko and his girlfriend have already had sex after dating for a week!"  
>"Really?" Aang asked, leaning to look at Zuko.<br>"What?" Zuko said, slamming his glass down, "How is that bigger news that the fact that you are having an child!"  
>"It's not, but this is weird."<br>"No, it isn't," Zuko said, "We've known each other since we were fourteen years old, and we've done it before."  
>"But-"<br>"Sokka is having a baby, for fucks sakes!"  
>"How far along is Toph?" Aang asked.<br>"Uhm... I don't know...?"  
>Both boys looked at Sokka. "You don't know?"<br>"How could you not know?"  
>"I don't know, alright. Toph isn't telling me anything and hasn't been to a doctor yet."<br>"Why not?"  
>"I don't know! The only way you can know anything about Toph is if you she tells you herself. Everything else about her is a mystery."<br>A/N - There's a lot of swearing in this chapter, which is why I'm warning you at the end! But yeah, Yori's character is just like Sato, except for the one thing I've been alluding to with Yori that hasn't happened to Sato. But honestly, I should just change Sato's name to Yori or Yori's name to Sato and make this a sequel. And to those of you who haven't read Zapped (another fanfic of mine) there's a character just like Yori, but in high school.  
>Okay, goodnightmorning/afternoon/whatever time of day it is where you are, dear reader.


	8. Waiting and Waitress

-Waiting and Waitress-  
>"Hello?" Zuko asked. He was sitting at his desk and was too busy looking at a proposal for a new product to check the caller ID.<br>"You sound busy," the voice that was unmistakably Yori's said.  
>"Yeah but what is it?" he said closing the booklet.<br>"Nothing important I just wanted to apologize but I can call you back later."  
>"No, it's about time I took a break anyway."<br>"You sure?"  
>"Yeah."<br>"Okay, well then, I'm sorry I yelled at you, especially in front of Sokka, and was weird and made you look weird and just sucked in general, so, sorry."  
>He laughed, "It's okay. Look, I'm getting off pretty early today, so what say you and I go eat dinner and see a movie or something."<br>She moaned, "I can't! I'm not getting off of work until at least eleven."  
>"Just blow off work and come out with me."<br>She giggled, "I would if I could but I can't so I'll see you another time, okay?"  
>"When's your lunch break?"<br>"In ten minutes."  
>"Good, let's meet for lunch then."<br>"Uhm, okay... Where?" she asked.  
>"What are you in the mood for?" he asked, grabbing his coat and scarf and readying himself. He left his office and made his way to the elevator.<br>"Uhm, I'm not really hungry."  
>"Yori..."<br>"I had a big breakfast!" she said defensively.  
>"Okay, well, I'm in the mood for some ramen."<br>"Really?" she asked, laughing from her end.  
>"Yeah, you've got me hooked."<br>"Okay, there's a ramen house on Spring Street that we can go to. I'll text you the address and I'll meet you there. I'm leaving right now."  
>'Kay, bye Yori." Zuko hing up the phone and stepped out of the elevator. A moment later Zuko was hailing a tazi and sending the driver to Spring Street.<br>When Zuko got to Spring, Yori was sitting cross legged on the street in front of the restaurant, playing with her phone.  
>He held out a hand to her and she looked up at him. "Oh hey," she said, smiling and taking his hand.<br>"Why were you sitting on the side walk?" he asked, holding the door open for her.  
>Her only response was, "I'm eccentric."<br>He laughed, "You are the cutest person I know."  
>"I try."<br>They sat down and Zuko took off his scarf and jacket and sat across from her on the small wooden table.  
>A cutesy little waitress came bye and handed the pair menus, and smiled a little too brightly at Zuko. Yori didn't get jealous, she just laughed.<br>"Uhm, I already know what I want," she said to the waitress. "I want miso broth with no meat or no egg, just the noodles and seaweed."  
>"Okay," she said, her voice heavily accented. Yori smiled, there was something about listening to native Korean or Chinese or Japanese people speaking English that she just loved.<br>"I've never had ramen before, so can you just bring me anything?"  
>She nodded, "Okay!" She picked up their untouched menus and left.<br>"She was cute," Yori said, sipping her water.  
>Zuko shrugged. "I didn't really notice."<br>"Shut up," Yori said. She put down her water glass and said, "I'm really, really, sorry about yesterday, and also, if you're near me, please don't let me drink. Seriously, I normally get crazy and belligerent, which is why I only drink wine." He laughed loudly. "Actually, I still get kind of drunk on wine easily.  
>Zuko hiccuped through his uncontrollable fit of laughter.<br>"What? I'm just telling you in advance!"  
>He straightened up and reached across the table and kissed her.<br>and at the moment the waitress came and cleared her throat, causing Zuko to jump back and drop his chair.  
>"Sorry," Yori giggled to the waitress. "Mianhe."<br>The waitress, recognizing the Korean said something long and involved in Korean that Yori could not fully understand, because she hadn't been to Korea or had to speak Korean in a long time.  
>To which she responded, "Ne!" with wide eyes, hoping she didn't look too confused.<br>The waitress smiled and left the table.  
>"You speak Korean?" Zuko asked, picking up his chopsticks.<br>"Yeah, I am Korean."  
>"I'm not fluent in Chinese but I'm Chinese."<br>She gave him the finger and picked up her spoon, sipping the broth.  
>"I'm not really fluent in Korean, I haven't spoken it in a long time."<br>Zuko took a mouthful of noodles into his mouth and almost spat them back into the bowl.  
>"What?" she asked, looking genuinely concerned.<br>"It's so spicy!" But she couldn't help but to laugh at him.  
>"It's not funny!"<br>The waitress ran over to the table and said something else long and complicated in Korean, but she heard a lot of 'Mianhe's' in her speech, so she figured she was apologizing. She smiled to herself because they were talking so informally. Yori said something that she hoped was a long the lines of, "He doesn't speak Korean."  
>"Oh, mianhe," she said to Yori and then turned to Zuko. "Is it too spicy?"<br>Zuko shook his head, "No, it's okay. I was just a little shocked."  
>"Mianhe," she said again before leaving.<br>"Mianhe means I'm sorry," Yori clarified. "Also, take your spicy foods like a man next time." Zuko stuck his tongue at her. "Nice comeback."  
>He waved his chopsticks at her, "Why are you only drinking the broth."<br>She shrugged. She hadn't even picked up her chopsticks. She used her spoon to pick up seaweed and found a naruto swimming around underneath it and picked it up and dropped it into Zuko's bowl. she put down her spoon and picked up her chopsticks, and ate all of her seaweed. "So now what do we talk about?"  
>Zuko shrugged and continued to eat his ramen.<br>"You seem all refined, Zuuks, but you eat like a monster." Yori said finally, as if there was no room for argument.  
>He laughed, "It's good!" He looked at her, and then said, "You're scaring me. Why aren't you really eating?"<br>"I am eating! I'm not that hungry so I'm not going to stuff my face, okay?"  
>"But-"<br>"But nothing."  
>"Can't you just eat a little, to make me feel better?"<br>"No!" she shook her head. "You know I eat. You've seen me eat. Why do I have to eat right now?"  
>"I just don't want you sick, alright?" He reached his hand along the table and took her hand.<br>"I'm not sick. Do I really look that pale? Do my arms look bad? Am I unusually thin? No. I'm perfectly healthy," she lowered her voice because she didn't want the waitress (who she thought was really cool) to hear her, "So stop treating me like I'm fucking not, alright?"  
>He pulled back his hand and rolled his eyes at her.<br>"Zuko," she said, spitting mad, "Do not get mad at because I don't want you to constantly bring up the worst time in my life. Is that really such a bad thing?"  
>"No. You 're right."<br>"Of course I'm right." She clattered her spoon down into the bowl and didn't pick it up again.  
>AN - Well, okay, if you haven't guessed it already, Yori had an eating disorder and she used to cut herself, which makes me think of a lot of Demi Lovato jokes, and not, like, about how Demi is stupid or crazy or anything, but be prepared for pretty much every main character saying, "She's just like Demi Lovato," in one way or another.  
>Also, about the Korean, all the Korean I know is from Korean drama's and my Korean friends, which is why I have Yori (who doesn't remember much) only say things that have been translated, or single word phrases that I have learned from television and BIGBANG videos.<br>Okay, goodnight!  
>Holy shit, it's 4:43am and I haven't been to bed yet and I'm not tired ~ why am I not sleeping?<br>Insomnia's a biiiiiiiiiiiiitch.


	9. Apologies

-Apologies-  
>Zuko knocked on the heavy door and waited for someone to open it. He'd been waiting for a while now and was sick of it. Zuko was always impatient. "Hey!" the voice who opened the door said to him.<br>He pulled her into a hug, "Hey Toph! How are you feeling?"  
>"Fine, fine," she said, ushering him inside.<br>"Where's Sokka?"  
>"At the store," she said, sitting down on the couch and sprawling out completely.<br>Zuko sat on the floor directly in front of the couch, his head resting on Toph's abdomen.  
>"He should be back soon, he left twenty minutes ago." Toph looked at Zuko, "What's wrong, Sparky?"<br>"Nothing," he lied.  
>"Is it Yori?" she asked.<br>He rolled his eyes and nodded.  
>"Sokka told me what happened at the bar. Damn it, I wish I had been there."<br>Laughter bubbled up inside him, but he bit his lip until it was gone. "We had lunch today."  
>"And?" she asked, playing with his hair.<br>"There's backstory that you need to understand first before it makes sense, which is why I came here to talk to Sokka."  
>Toph hit him in the head. "You're a jerk."<br>"The story would take twice as long."  
>"Just tell me!" she said hitting him again<br>"Fine, just wait until Sokka comes back so I don't have to tell it a million times." And at that exact moment, Sokka walked through the front door, holding about four plastic shopping bags. He closed the door with his foot and walked to the open kitchen, Toph and Sokka's apartment was almost identical to Yori's.  
>"What are you doing here?" Sokka greeted his best friend.<br>"I want to talk to you about Yori."  
>"What about her?" Sokka asked opening a large bag of chips and walking out to living room. He handed it to Toph.<br>Toph smiled and kissed him, "Thank you."  
>"Ew," Zuko said. He took the bag of chips from Toph and ate one.<br>"What do you want?" Sokka asked taking the bag back from him and handing it to Toph.  
>"So, Yori and I went to lunch today, and everything was going well. She was being nice and normal and she was speaking to the hot waitress in Korean and it was so fucking sexy-"<br>"You're getting quite off task," Toph said.  
>"Yeah. Anyway, eventing was so good, and then she ordered ramen with only noodles and seaweed, but I didn't think it was that weird, but then she would only eat the broth, and I thought that was weird so I asked her to eat some of it to give me piece of mind and she got so mad."<br>Sokka leaned back into the couch and put his arm around Toph's shoulder. "So you brought up what is most likely the worst time of her life, and you didn't except her to be mad about it?"  
>Zuko groaned, "When did you get so fucking sensible? I miss the old, sarcastic and stupid Sokka."<br>"Hey!" Toph shouted, slapping Zuko in the face in a very Toph like way (meaning, with brutish force), "Don't curse in front of my baby!"  
>"It's not even born yet, Agni who are you people and what have you done with my friends?"<br>Sokka decided to ignore that, "You don't feel at all like what you did was wrong?"  
>"No!"<br>"Well then you're an asshole."  
>"Wait wait wait wait wait," Toph said, "What the hell are you guys talking about?"<br>"When we were freshman, Yori had an eating disorder," Sokka told Toph, "She was bulimic-"  
>"How can you not like food-"<br>"Toph, I'm pretty sure it's not because she doesn't like food," Sokka said. "But anyway, she Cut hersel too and she got sent to rehab or a mental institute or where ever it is you're sent when you're bulimic and cut yourself."  
>"She's just like Demi Lovato!" Toph said.<br>Both boys looked at her. "What? I've been watching a lot more tv since I haven't been able to go to the dojo!"  
>Zuko rolled his eyes at Toph. "You know what? You guys kind of suck at making people feel better."<br>"Well if you're he one in the wrong," Sokka began.  
>"Which you clearly are," Toph added.<br>"Then we don't need to be making you feel better."  
>"You should go to her house. She lives close, doesn't she?"<br>Zuko nodded. Then Zuko groaned. "Fine. I'll go apologize. But I hate you guys. Just remember that."  
>Toph and Sokka nodded, "Yeah whatever."<br>Zuko stood up to go, but stopped after he put on his shoes. "Do you guys have any wine?"  
>"What?" Toph asked, standing up and going into he kitchen. She put on a kettle of water.<br>"Why?"  
>"Peace offering."<br>"I don't think so," Sokka said, walking into the kitchen after Toph. He checked a cabinet and pulled out a dark bottle. "It's cheap."  
>"Whatever," Zuko said, taking the bottle from him. "I'll buy you guys a new bottle next time I come over."<br>"No point, I can't drink and I'm not letting Sokka drink if I can't. Hey, take the whiskey Sokka hides in our room too."  
>"Leave it!" Sokka complained.<br>"Yeah let him have it-"  
>"It's Jack," Toph said, reaching into a cabinet and pulling out a mug.<br>"Give it to me," Zuko said.  
>"I hate you," Sokka said, trudging off into his bedroom.<br>"Can you bring me a pair of socks when you come back?" Toph called to him.  
>Sokka just grumbled in response.<br>"Hey," Zuko asked now that it was just the two of them again. "Have you made a doctors appointment yet? Sokka says you haven't."  
>"Zuko-"<br>"Just do it Toph," he said, pulling down the container of green tea that was too high up for Toph to reach anyway. "I don't want my Agni-child coming out with two jeans because you never went to the doctor."  
>"Hey! What doctor would be able to fix that?" she asked as she watched him prepare her tea with expert abilities. And who they hell said you'd be the Agni-father. Shut up Zuko."<br>"Of course I'd be the Agni-father. Who else would be?"  
>Sokka returned with the whiskey and the Toph's socks and handed them over with a miserable look on his face. "Go away Zuko."<br>Zuko smirked and patted his friend on the back. "Thanks Sokka. And Toph, just do it, okay?"  
>She gave him the finger and then be left their apartment, not feeling better about his situation, bur feeling better in general.<br>He walked the few blocks to Yori's apartment and the the million steps to her door.  
>"Hello?" she asked after he knocked.<br>"Yori, it's me."  
>"Me who?"she asked.<br>"Zuko, open the door," he commanded.  
>Yori waked over to the door and opened it for him. "Hi."<br>Yori looked frazzled and was wearing the same clothes since they had lunch and still had on her scarf and heels. She was holding her coat. "Are you going somewhere?" Zuko asked.  
>She hung her coat on the hanger by the door. "No, I just got back," she said. She kicked off her shoes. "What are you doing here?"<br>He held out the bottle of wine to her.  
>"We already had ramen today," she said, pulling off her shirt and throwing it onto the couch.<br>Zuko almost blushed. Almost. "I came to apologize."  
>"Apology accepted."<br>"Are you really that tired?" he asked finally following her inside and taking off his shoes.  
>"What are you taking off your shoes?" she asked, "You can't stay her I'm going to sleep. It's eleven thirty and I've been working all day."<br>"Well then just have one glass."  
>"No," she said, now taking off her skirt too. "I'm about to go to sleep."<br>"Then can I stay over?" he asked.  
>"Zuko," she whined.<br>"Come on, you said it yourself, it's late."  
>"Fine," she growled, gathering her clothes and stomping into her bedroom.<br>Zuko grinned behind her and placed the two bottles on her kitchen counter.  
>When he got into her room, he began to shed his clothes as well. Suits were not comfortable.<br>"Do you have work tomorrow?" he asked.  
>"No," she said, getting under the covers and turning off the lamp by her bed.<br>"Is your heater still broken?"  
>"My heater is always broken. It can't be fixed."<br>"Oh," he said. He was at the awkward stage of undressing where be didn't know whether to stop getting dress and get into bed or take off him under shirt as well."  
>"What should I sleep in?" he asked Yori.<br>"I don't care!" she shouted. "I'm going to fucking bed, stop talking to me."  
>He almost left his shirt on, but then the heater let out a gust of very hot steam, when he decided to take it off and get into bed with her. She had her back to him and he tried to spoon with her, but she shook his advances off. He actually scoffed and turned to sleep with their backs together.<br>In the middle of the night, somewhere around three or four (so then it would be in the early, early morning) Zuko woke up and Yori wasn't there. He blinked a few times and wondered if it was worth it for him to get up, but when the heater blew hot air into the already stuffy room, he got out of bed. He opened the door and walked into the living room where he saw Yori sitting on the counter. There was a knife in the sink next to her and she was sleepily eating a box of crackers.  
>And oh Agni, Zuko's irrational brain thought the worst immediately.<br>"What are you doing?" he asked, standing in front of the sink.  
>"Eating," she said through a mouthful of cracker and a bewildered expression on her face.<br>"Why?"  
>She swallowed and then snorted, "Because food is fuel. I didn't eat dinner because I went to bed when I got home."<br>"But why about the knife?" he asked, pointing at the offending piece of silverware in the sink.  
>"You mean the butter knife I used to cut a peach?" she asked, picking up a bare peach pit. "Are you done being an asshole so I can finish my crackers and watch tv?"<br>He took a deep breath.  
>"And usually, Zuko, when I cut myself I try to find the dullest knives possible. It's the sawing motion that drives me wild." She jumped off the counter and pushed past him to get to her bedroom.<br>"Yori," Zuko called out to her, "Look, I'm sorry, I-"  
>"Zuko, you really need to calm the fuck down. I am not trying to kill myself. Nor am I starving myself. And I am not nor did I ever do any questionable behavior that was related to you. Except, like, sex things when we were fourteen. That was very questionable behavior."<br>"Yori-" he said, following her.  
>"Shut up. Shut the fuck up. Shut your fucking mouth and if I hear you talking about me cutting or vomiting, I will hurt you. And not just emotionally. I will seriously hurt you."<br>She walked into her room and picked up her laptop from her desk. She walked over to her bed and turned it on, plugging he headphones from her nightstand into it.  
>"What are you doing?" he asked.<br>"Leave me alone," she said, not looking up at him. Her purple hair glowed in he computer light, making her look terrifying. "You should be happy I'm not kicking you out, but it's like, two in the morning, so just fuck off. Thanks."  
>Zuko sat on the floor and though of ways to redeem himself. He picked up he pants that he had tossed onto the floor earlier and pulled out his phone. He went into his contacts and began to text Yori.<br>-I'm sorry.  
>Yori reached onto her nightstand as her phone buzzed loudly and threatened to fall from the table.<br>She read the message and glared at Zuko, who was typing again.  
>-I'm not just saying that either. I know your better, but the first thing I remember when I think about you is when you weren't okay.<br>She looked at him again, less angrily.  
>-I can't help but to assume the worst when I'm with you, because I haven't seen you in eight years, so it's weird to see you from being so sick, to now being perfectly fine. I keep on thinking of when we were kids and I know I shouldn't because those wasn't exactly the best time for us.<br>-Maybe we should make some memories that you can remember instead.  
>He looked up from his phone. Her hair looked way less menacing.<br>-When should we start?


	10. SuperMarket

-SuperMarket-

Yori woke up and opened one eye. It was not time to be awake. She never wanted to get out of bed. Her painfully hot room seemed like heaven. Or maybe it was just Zuko next to her. She put her face into her hands for thinking anything like that. She was such a nerd. She looked at I'm over her shoulder and thought. All she ever did was yell and curse at him. She got out of bed and walked to her closet. She pulled out a short dress and pulled it over her head. She tip toed to her mirror and made a face of disgust when she saw herself. The dress had a large coffee stain all down the front. Why did she hang it up? She tore the dress off and threw it into her bedrooms small wastebasket. She walked back to her closet and forgo tiptoeing completely. She took out an equally short dress and put it on and left the room.  
>She walked Ito her kitchen and peered into the fridge. The was a wedge of Brie and a few fruits and a jug of water. She closed the fridge and huffed, walking back into her room for a pair of shoes. Adorning the high heels she own (only because she was wearing a dress) and left her room again, grabbed a jacket and left the apartment. She debated whether or not to go to the market and make him something, and decided she would.<br>It was a large supermarket, and her head was swimming when she go there. She walked from aisle to aisle trying to figure out what she was to make. She pushed a shopping car around the produce aisle, but the cart only carried bottles of wine. Red wine. She senselessly pushed her cart around until she almost knocked into someone she knew.  
>"Sokka!" she said when she saw him. She abandoned her cart to hug her ponytailed friend.<br>"Yori?" he asked, looking at her and smiling.  
>"What are you doing here so early?" she asked, looking in his cart. It was pretty empty as well, only carrying a bag of peaches and another of tomatoes. "Did you just get here?"<br>Sokka nodded. "What are you doing here?"  
>"Shopping!" she said with a grand sweep of her arms, indicating to her cart.<br>He laughed. "You go to a supermarket for wine?"  
>"No, but I went to a supermarket, and happened to find wine as well. I'm making breakfast for Zuuks."<br>"Zuko's at your place?" he asked.  
>Yori nodded, "Yeah."<br>"So he slept over?"  
>"You knew?" she asked, returning to her cart and pushing it to follow him.<br>"Yeah, he was at our place first. He stole all of our alcohol."  
>"No way! That's shit," she said.<br>He laughed, "Yeah, it's because Toph doesn't want any alcohol around since she can't drink it."  
>"Why can't she?" she asked with a blank look.<br>"She's having a baby," Sokka said. "I thought you knew."  
>"Toph's having a baby?" Yori loudly said, jumping up and down.<br>"You didn't know?"  
>"That's so cool!" she said, but then immediately stopped and hit him. "You're too fucking young to have a baby. She's too fucking young to have a baby."<br>"Yeah I know," he said, "We're all too fucking young to have babies."  
>"Yup!" she said. "Ponytail, let's all have breakfast together!"<br>"What?" he asked.  
>"I'm not cut out for the kitchen, I'm gonna go buy breakfast somewhere, you two should come over." Sokka looked hesitant for a moment. "You should <em>coooooooome<em>!" she whined.  
>"Fine, fine." He stopped pushing his cart for a moment. "As long as I can wake the Sleeping Dragon we'll come."<br>"Cool!" she said, "I'll see you in, like, an hour then?"  
>"Yeah."<br>She giggled and skipped away, leaving her cart with her things in it still.  
>"Your stuff!" he called after her, but she was already gone.<p>

After waiting for food for about a half hour, Yori raced back to her apartment. She quickly climbed the seven flights, still wheezing even after living there for a year. She unlocked the door to see Zuko sitting on the couch, just sitting there. The TV wasn't on and neither was the stereo.  
>"What the fuck are you doing?" she asked loudly, slamming the door loudly behind her.<br>"Where did you go?" he asked, getting up.  
>She held up the heavy bags, "Breakfast! Sokka and Toph are coming over."<br>"What?" Zuko asked, taking the bags from her and walking them to the kitchen.  
>"I saw Sokka in the supermarket."<br>"You went to the supermarket?" he asked, looking in the bags at the wrapped up food.  
>"Yeah, but then I remembered how shit I am at cooking, so I gave up."<br>He laughed. Yori walked over to Zuko and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Things are good now, right?"  
>Zuko nodded. "Yeah, things are good now."<br>She grinned and leaned up to kiss him. She pulled his face down close to hers as they kissed deeper. His hands reached around her back to unzip her dress and he began to pull it down. She dragged him down onto the floor and he shuddered from the cold.  
>"Oh, fuck."<br>She laughed and got from on top of him, "Sorry," She helped him up. "Go get dressed they're going to be here in like, twenty minutes." He nodded and walked into the her room to retrieve his clothes.

A/N-

Review. You guys really suck at that. There are like, eleven chapters and two reviews.

Anyway, it's fucking 3:20 in the morning, but I'm not tired and I'm rewatching old episodes of Skins.

Fucking insomnia.


	11. Breakfast and Beats

-Breakfast And Beat-  
>Yori re-zipped her dress (with help from Zuko) and bustled around the kitchen, prepping things for her two guests.<br>Zuko came out of the bathroom fifteen minutes before they were meant to be there. He was wrapped in a towel and his hair was dripping wet.  
>"Yori," he called to her.<br>"What?" she snapped, opening containers of food.  
>"Chill."<br>"What?" she said angrier, turning to Zuko.  
>"Toph and Sokka are totally low maintenance. They'll eat anything as song as it's food. And Sokka's been known to eat things that aren't food on occasion."<br>"Woah," she breathed out.  
>"What?" he asked.<br>"You're hot!"  
>He snorted, "You should finish what you're doing." Zuko walked down the hall and into her room.<br>She quickly washed her hands and ran after him. "Zuko you're so hot! Come back here!"  
>When Yori got into her room, he was trying to get his hair dry so he could get dressed. She jumped onto him, causing them both to fall onto her bed.<br>"What are you doing?" he asked, pushing her up.  
>"You know that I like you for who you are and everything, but it really doesn't hurt that you're ridiculously hot."<br>Zuko pushed her off of him, blushing profusely.  
>She managed to get back on top of him.<br>"Zuuks stop running away!" she whined, laying atop of him.  
>"Are you done?" he said, sitting up causing Yori to slide back a fraction. She shook her head. "Toph and Sokka will be here any minute."<br>She groaned, "Fine!" but then she leaned forward and kissed him anyway.  
>As Yori rolled off of her boyfriend, to doorbell rang. "Put your clothes on," she said, walking to the front door.<br>"Hey!" she said hugging Sokka, even though she had seen him an hour ago, and then, to Toph's dismay, she hugged her too.  
>"Hi Yor," Sokka said, walking into the house.<br>"I thought Sparky was here."  
>"Zuko? Yeah, he's in my room getting dressed."<br>Toph nodded. "Tell him to hurry up, I'm starved."  
>"Yeah, just take a seat," she said, indicating to her dining table that was in between her kitchen and her living room. "I'll hurry him up."<br>Yori walked down the hall and peeked her head into the room, "Put your pants on and come out."  
>Zuko looked down at himself, "My pants are on."<br>"Well then good, come on out then."  
>Zuko followed Yori out of the steamy bedroom and into the dining room. "Hey guys."<br>"Hey, Sparky!"  
>"Did you do what I told you to do?" he asked her, a serious look on his face. Yori and Sokka exchanged curious looks.<br>"I just got up," she grumbled as a small child would when being scolded by an adult. "I'll do it later."  
>"Do it before you leave."<br>"Fine!"  
>"What are you talking about?" Yori asked.<br>Zuko just winked at her, "Nothing to worry yourself about." So she shrugged and didn't worry herself about it.  
>"So," Toph asked, serving herself a plate of food (that Yori had just brought out, since she was side tracked earlier), "Why'd you invite us over?"<br>"Ponytail and I are good friends!" Yori exclaimed. Sokka smiled at her. "When I was away for sophomore and junior, Sokka always sent me letters and packages and stuff. He was the only one of my friends from school who talked to me for those years."  
>Sokka blushed.<br>"You sent her letters?" Zuko asked, putting some scrambled eggs onto his plate.  
>"Yeah..." Sokka said, clearly embarrassed.<br>"Every week," Yori said, smiling brightly at him.  
>"That's really nice," Toph said, punching Sokka affectionately on the shoulder. "Zuko why didn't you ever send her letters?"<br>Zuko blushed now and mumbled something inaudible into his eggs.  
>Yori shrugged and rubbed his shoulder, "It's okay, I don't really care."<br>"You should have sent her letters-"  
>"So, you're having a baby?" Yori asked.<br>Toph half glared at her. "Yeah."  
>"How far along are you?"<br>Toph stopped to think, "Uhm..." she blushed deeply when she figured out the answer. "Around four months."  
>Sokka choked on the pancake he was chewing. Zuko handed him a napkin.<br>"Did your morning sickness stop?"  
>"Not completely but it's letting up."<br>"Sokka, have you been helping her?" Yori said, sounding a bit like all of their mothers.  
>"I only found out three weeks ago."<br>Yori ignored him completely even though she was the one to ask him a question. "You should start showing soon, shouldn't you?"  
>"Should I?" Toph asked.<br>"Yeah. About four months is normal. You generally start showing after morning sickness is over."  
>"Really?" Toph squeaked.<br>Zuko wiped his mouth with a napkin. "You sure know a lot about babies."  
>She shrugged, not noticing what he was alluding to. "I used to have a lot of friends with kids."<br>Toph put her fork down and didn't eat anymore.  
>"Oh, did I make you lose your appetite?" Yori asked, "Sorry."<br>Toph just shook her head.  
>Zuko looked at his sullen friends and then to his girlfriend. "Are you not hungry?" be asked in the most normal way he could.<br>Yori reach across the table to grab a muffin and began to peel off the paper. "Well okay, now I feel awful."  
>Sokka shook his head, "No, no it's fine Yor. So bow have things been with you?"<br>"They've been good," she said, smiling. "My team and I are almost finished with the billboard we're designing, so when we are, I can take a break from work."  
>"Oh, well, that's good."<br>"Yeah, especially since I can't stand my team. They're all really mean." Sokka laughed.  
>"So what do you guys do?" Yori asked, still unwrapping her muffin.<br>"I work at my parents company," Toph said, embarrassed to say so. "Bei Fong Industries."  
>"That's so cool!" Yori said, bouncing in her seat. "My team worked there for a while. We did a whole campaign when they were launching a new line of furniture."<br>"Really?" Toph asked, "When?"  
>"Last year."<br>"I know what you're talking about! That was a really awesome campaign."  
>Yori smiled. "So, Ponytail, what do you do?"<br>"I work with Toph."  
>"What the hell, do none of you have regular people jobs?" Sokka shook his head. "So you all are, like, big shot CEOs and what not?"<br>"Aang's an editor."  
>"And Katara works at a boutique."<br>"Good, a humbling job for at least one of you."  
>"Well, she owns it."<br>"You guys are annoying."  
>"None of your friends have nice jobs?" Zuko asked.<br>"Friends?" she asked, "What friends? Ponytail has been my only friend since I was eighteen years old."  
>"Really?" Zuko asked, chocking on his toast.<br>"True shit."  
>"How have you gone on for eight years without a single friend?"<br>"When I'm at work I focus on work exclusively and then after work in go straight to bed. There's not much time to wallow in my old self pity."  
>"But how can you have no friends? That doesn't seem possible unless you like, never leave your house," Toph said<br>"I have acquaintances. I'm not socially awkward but most of the people I know are douche bags."  
>"We'll be your friends." Toph said in a patronizing tone.<br>Yori laughed, "How sweet!"

Toph and Sokka left the apartment. Yori flopped down on the couch and she couldn't stop smiling. Zuko smiled too and walked over to her. He crouched down next to her and poked her cheeks. "You'll break your face like that."  
>She laughed and swatted his hands away, "No one gets hurt by being to happy!"<br>He kissed her cheek. "Why are you so happy?"  
>"I forgot how awesome people can be. Their going to have the best kid in the world."<br>"Yeah, I know. I can't wait until they have it."  
>She leaned over and kissed him, "Your friends are cool." Zuko stood up and lay down on top of Yori, who 'Oooph!'ed and squirmed until he had her flipped, and laying on top of him. "Zuuks when are you leaving?"<br>"I'm not sure."  
>She has her head to his chest, and her ear was right above his heart. "Your heat is beating fast."<br>"Is it?" he asked. Yori nodded. "Cool."


	12. Seoul Food and Plans

-Seoul Foods and Plans- 

"Hey," Yori said into the phone.

"Hey," Zuko said, "Come out with me today. The whole gAang is going out tonight."

"What time?" Yori asked, kicking her feet up onto the couch arm. She put down her glass of water.

"Nine."

"To do what?"

"A late dinner."

"Fine," she said, standing.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sitting up a bit straighter, even though they were miles apart.

"Yeah, I'm kind of exhausted. I worked out for the first time in a while today."

He laughed, "How was it?"

"Working out is awful," she moaned.

He blushed after hearing the sound.

"Okay, I'm gonna go take a long bath before I get ready. Bye Zuuks."

"Uh, yeah, bye Yori."

About four hours later, Yori was at the entrance of a Korean restaurant called Seoul Food. She noticed she was about fifteen minutes early, and sat down on the sidewalk in front of be restaurant. She was wearing a short, simple, tan dress with boats and anchors lining the hem, but she had to wear tights this tome, since it was the colder type of November day. She pulled out her iPhone and checked her email as she waited. Her sister was getting married again. Dear Agni, will it ever cease? It was the third time she was getting married? Yori had never even met the guy she was marrying.

"Yori?" someone asked from above her.

She looked up to see Zuko. "Oh, hey." She stood and smiled. His other friends gave her a strange look. "I like to sit on the sidewalk."

"You're weird," Toph said, smiling and then waking into the restaurant.

Yori called, "You're weird too!" before kissing Zuko. "Ponytail!" she said, even more excited to see Sokka. They hugged. "Hi Katara, hi Aang." Aang smiled at her, and Katara rolled her eyes in the discreetest way she could muster, which wasn't discreet at all.

They entered Seoul Foods and Toph was already walking to their table at the back of the brightly lit restaurant. Their table was black, and there was a bench on one side, and three chairs on the other. Yori slid into the bench, followed by Toph, and then Aang.

"How've you guys been?" Katara asked, settling into her seat and putting her napkin onto her lap.

"Fine," Aang said, "There's been a lot less work recently."

"Dad called me yesterday," Sokka said, "He told me to tell you to call him."

"Why didn't you tell me yesterday? I wanted to talk to him!" Katara whined.

"Sorry," Sokka said, "I figured I'd just tell you today. But hey, don't tell him about the baby thing, okay?"

Katara gaped at her brother, "The baby thing? You mean the child you conceived? You didn't tell him yet?"

"No," Sokka hissed, "And we can talk about this later!"

"No, let's talk now!" Katara said.

"Shut up!" Toph said. "Shut up now. I told Sokka not to say anything. Are you going to yell at me now?"

Katara just grumbled in her seat.

"Well," Zuko said, "Now that that's done..."

"Sorry," Katara and Sokka said, pouting simultaneously. Toph didn't say a thing.

The waitress came over and handed everyone their menus and filled the water glasses.

"Kamsahamnida," Yori said, even bowing her head a little. The waitress smiled at her and walked away.

"So you do speak Korean?" Katara asked.

"Yeah, I guess, but I haven't had to speak it in a really long time, so it's really bad when I do." Katara nodded.

Zuko began to look at his menu and then looked up at Yori, "Do you know what you're getting?"

Yori shrugged, "I don't know yet. But I hate that when I eat Korean food, it comes with a serious amount of banchan and I always feel like I have to finish it." They sat for a while reading their menus. "Oh, they have Ojingo Bokum, I think I'll get that."

"Is it good?" Zuko asked.

"Do you like squid?"

"Ew, gross, no."

She laughed. "Then I don't think you'll be a fan of Ojingo Bokum. Just get kimbap or something safe like that. Get kimbap and kimchi and you'll be fine."

The waitress, who was tall and had permed hair returned to the table. "Are you ready to order?"

The other four at the table ordered first and then Yori said, "Ojingo Bokum for me and kimbap and kimchi for him." She handed her menu to the waitress, "And two bottles of soju. And tea, for the pregnant one."

She turned to Toph, "What kind of tea would you like, ma'am?"

"White," Toph said, blushing, but Yori couldn't tell whether from embarrassment or anger.

"Okay!"

"Kamsahamnida," Yori said again as she walked away. "I'm not sure that waitress speaks Korean."

"How can you tell?" Aang asked.

"Well, Zuuks and I-" Toph snickered at the nickname. "-Were at this ramen house, and I said mianhe to the waitress, and she like, immediately perked up and said something to me in Korean and was really excited to get to speak her language here, but this one is just like, whatever."

"You guys go to Korean restaurants a lot?" Sokka asked.

"Nah, that was, like, two months ago."

"That long ago? We've been dating for a while." Yori nodded. "Yeah. We should go somewhere. We should all go somewhere!" They all gave her crazy looks. "The city is so draining! Why don't we go upstate or something?"

"Upstate?"

"Yeah! It's nice up there. We could rent a cabin or something."

"That sounds awesome!" Toph said. "I love camping!"

Yori smiled at her friend. "I don't know if we all can get off work at the same time..." Katara said.

"Well, I can get off of work whenever, I own the place," Zuko said.

"Yeah, and I can get me and Sokka off easy," Toph said.

"And if everyone is going, I guess I can edit anywhere..." Aang said.

Everyone looked at Katara. "Uhm, I'll see, but I'm not promising anything to anyone."

Yori smiled, "This is way cool."


	13. Upstate

-Upstate-

Two weeks before Christmas, the gAang + Yori were in a large van, rented by Zuko, driving upstate to a cabin in the woods. They were still a few hours away. Zuko had driven for the first four hours, but couldn't anymore.

"Hey, I'm pulling over, Katara can you drive now?" he asked, slowing the van down as he stopped the car.

"Of course, you've been driving forever." So Zuko got out of the vehicle and got into the back, taking a seat next to Yori. Katara got behind the wheel and drove.

Zuko put his head in Yori's lap. "Tired?" she asked, petting his hair. Zuko didn't say anything, he just nodded a bit. She leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. He immediately sat up and put her hands on her waist and began to kiss her neck. "Whatever happened to tired?" Zuko graduated from attacking her neck and pulled her into a kiss while one hand snaked up her thigh. "Calm down Lover Boy. We're in a car with all your friends. This is the epitome of weird." He pulled away and laughed, his head returning to its previous position.

"How've you been?" he asked, "I haven't seen you since that night we first talked about this and that was like, weeks ago."

"Yeah I know," Yori said. She leaned down and whispered, "I missed you," into his ear.  
>Zuko rolled onto his back so he could look up at Yori, and his feet were now bent an on the seat.<p>

"I missed you too," Zuko said. They kissed again.

"Oh barf," Toph said from the back row where she was sitting with Sokka. Yori reached her finger behind her seat and gave Toph the finger without breaking her kiss.

Zuko broke away from their kiss first. "I'm hungry," he halfheartedly whined. She reached into her bag and brought out a Cliff cookie and fed it to her boyfriend. A few minutes later, he fell right asleep.

"Zuko," Yori called, shaking his shoulder, trying to wake him up.

"Are we there?"

"Yeah, get up." Zuko sat up and squinted, looking out of the windows of the van.  
>"Where is everyone?"<p>

"Inside, they all left while I was trying to wake you up." He laughed and apologetically kissed her. They jumped out of the van and walked from the driveway of the cabin to the door. It was unlocked and Yori just pushed it open.

"You're awake!" Sokka said to Zuko. "We all thought you were dead."

Zuko just rolled his eyes.

"Where are we sleeping?" Yori asked, holding onto Zuko's forearm.

"The very last room down the hallway," Sokka said, pointing to the hallway he was referring to. Toph and I made your bed."

"Thanks," Yori smiled and then dragged Zuko off to their room.

It was a small simple room, with only a closet, bed and bedside table. The sheets on the bed were Toph and Sokka's because Zuko hadn't thought to bring any, (as he told everyone in the car) and Yori only had one pair of sheets, and they were on her bed at home. Someone had already brought their bags from the car and they were sitting by the door.

"It's so late," Yori said, looking out the window. They had to leave the city after everyone got off of work, so it was about one in the morning.

"Zuko, go find out if everyone is going to bed now." Zuko nodded and trudged out of the room. A minute later, he came back and nodded again. "Are you still tired?"

"A bit."

"Fine," she said. "Do you think it's warm enough for me to sleep in my underwear? I know it's December and all, but it doesn't seem too cold in here."

"I don't see why not," Zuko said, peeling off his own clothes and opening his suitcase. He pulled out a plain white tee shirt to wear with his boxers.

Yori removed her clothes as well, threw them onto the floor and jumped under the covers. He followed her and immediately began to kiss her. He put one hand on her waist, pulling their bodies closer and the other on her face. Yori sighed a little as he pulled away and began to work on her neck, "All of your friends are in rooms right next to ours."

"Then we'll be quiet."

"I don't think that's a thing that we are able to do," Yori said, her words coming out choppy.

He ignored that and continued to attack her neck. "Stop it Zuko, seriously-" she moaned a little and then the door banged open.

"Hey, Sokka wants to know-" Toph began. Her eyes went wide and she stepped into the room more. "What's this?"

"Go away," Zuko said, detaching himself from Yori.

"This is kind of hilarious."

"What does Sokka want?" Yori asked, rolling to the edge of the bed and jumping from the covers.

"Come here," Toph said, extending her arm.

"Uhm yeah, I'll be right back," Yori said to Zuko, following Toph out to her and Sokka's room.

"What the fuck, don't _go_," Zuko groaned.

Yori smiled, "We couldn't have anyway, this is good!"

"You're not even wearing clothes!"

"All my bits are covered," Yori said, "Just get ready for bed, I won't be long," she turned to Toph, "Will I?"

Agni, stop your talking and lets go."

"Yeah, go to sleep, alright?" Yori said, now being dragged from the room by an annoyed Toph.

The two girls trudged down the hallway and into Toph and Sokka's room.

"Hey," Yori said to Sokka. "Thanks for the sheets."

"Yeah, no problem," Sokka said, sitting up. He was lying on his bed.

"Do people usually have multiple sets of sheets?" she asked.

"Yes."

"How strange."

"It's not really," Toph said.

"Ponytail, what did you want?" Yori asked, still hovering in front of the door.

"Uhm, why aren't you wearing clothes?" Sokka asked.

"When I went in there, she and Zuko were totally doing it!" Toph said, jumping into bed next to Sokka.

"What?"

"We were not!" Yori squealed. "Sokka, what'd you want?"

"I just wanted to know-You guys were doing it?"

"I'm leaving, goodnight," Yori said, closing the door on her way out.

"Took you long enough," Zuko said, waiting by the door for her.

"Go to fucking bed!" Yori said, pushing past him and walking to the bed. "Are you usually this horny?"

Zuko blushed. "N-No."

"Are you lying?"

Zuko snorted. "No. If you're not going to do anything, you might as well go to bed."

"Oh, so you're going to let me sleep, how gracious of you, oh masterful host."

They both huffed and dove under the covers.

"You're not actually mad, are you?" Zuko asked.

Yori rolled around to face him. "Of course not!" They quickly kissed and the then she laid her face on his chest as she tried to fall asleep. Zuko kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her, pulling them closer together.

Yori woke up and tried to remember where she was. She woke up and looked to Zuko, who was still sleeping. She pulled her phone from the bedside table and checked the time. "Shit," she muttered. It was nine thirty. She could hear everyone else moving around the old cabin with its creaky floorboards. She hit Zuko in the chest. "Hey, Zuuks, get up." He tried to roll away from her, "Get up! It's nine thirty!"

"Shut up," he muttered.

She got out of bed and pulled the blanket off of him. "Stop it."

She crawled onto him, straddling him, "Zuko!" she whined, bouncing up and down, causing the bed to shake. He sat up, causing him to slide back.

"Oh for fucks sakes!"

She laughed, "Are you up?"

He glared at her, "What does it look like?"

She laughed, "I'm afraid to look at the door, 'cause I think Toph might be there."

"I'm not there!" she yelled from the other side of the door, "But we all heard you!"

Yori laughed loudly. She rolled off her boyfriend and grabbed a dress from her already open suitcase and shrugged it on.

"Morning," Yori said to anyone who would listen. She walked into the kitchen.

"We heard you and Zuko," Katara said irritably.

"Oh," Yori said, reaching into one of the bags and taking out a plastic cup. She filled it with water from the tap. "I was just trying to wake him up. He sleeps like a log."

Zuko walked out of the bedroom and into the overcrowded kitchen and took the cup of water from Yori and downed it all.

She glared at him, "Fill it," she hissed.

He walked over to the sink and filled it, handing it to Yori.

The other two girls gaped at him.

Yori smirked, sipping her water, "And that is how feminism works." Toph grinned. 

"So what are we doing today?" Yori asked. She was sitting in between Toph and Sokka on the couch, far away from Zuko, for no reason other than to bug him.

Toph, Sokka, Aang and Zuko all looked to Katara for the answer. It was just like her to have every moment of everyday planned.

"Well I was thinking-"

"Snowball fight?" Sokka suggested. There was a ton of snow upstate, much more than in the city they lived in.

"Yes!" Aang and Zuko roared.

"Acting like kids? Cool!" Katara said, sounding genuinely excited.

"Even though could single handedly take all of you on, and win, I don't think I should-you guys play rough."

"Oh," Sokka said, visibly upset, "I guess I should stay with you-"

"No! I'll stay, I hate snow!" York offered, glad there was someone who would stay.

Sokka looked relieved, his face returning to its usual brightness. "Thanks!"

"No problem," Yori said.

And with that, everyone got up to put on their gear. Yori followed Zuko into their room to help him get ready.

"Did you bring snow pants?" she asked, sitting down in front of his suitcase.

"Why would a grown man own snow pants?" Zuko asked, pulling of his t-shirt.

She giggled, "Touché."

"Hm, should I take a shower now or later-?"

"Take one later. You'll be cold and want one. And if you don't freeze to death, you'll sweat."

Zuko nodded, "Smart."

She dug through his bag, ignoring to embarrassing things she found around his clothes, and pulled out an undershirts, an over shirt, and a sweater.

"Did I pack my any sweatpants?" Zuko asked, putting on all the clothes she picked out for him.

She nodded and tossed the sweatpants onto the bed. She stood up watched him dress.

"That's weird," Zuko said, pulling on the sweater. "You stare at me way too much."

She giggled again, "No I don't!"

"Yeah you do."

"I only stare at you because you're so perfect."

He blushed furiously. "Shut up."

"You are. Now, go and snowball fight until your fingers turn blue," she handed him his gloves. "Have fun, Sugarplum."

"Sugarplum?" Zuko asked, taking the gloves and kissing her.

"Sugarplum." And then a few minutes later, everyone was outside picking teams and getting ready to destroy their enemies.

Yori and Toph were sitting in the living room bored out of their minds and trying to find something to say.

"Hey," Toph said, "What were you guys like in high school?"

Yori giggled. "How old are you?"

"I'm two years younger than you," Toph said, snorting audibly.

"What?" Yori almost screeched. "You're only 24?"

Toph nodded.

"But you're a baby having a baby!"

"Shut up!" Toph hissed at her.

"So you're going to raise it with Sokka?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that's good, Sokka is all kinds of wonderful."

Toph nodded. "Now get on with the story."

"Oh, oh yeah. So when Sokka, Zuko and I were in high school, we were all pretty much gangly, awkward, nerds. Well, not Zuko. Zuko was hot. He looked pretty much the same but shorter, less muscular and more emo. So, on my first day of school, Sokka and I were in the same class, and we sat next to each other in two classes. So, you know, we became friends. He was really nice and totally goofy and I couldn't help but smile when he was around. But then one day, it was lunch, and I generally didn't eat lunch with Sokka, but he was sitting with another kid with a massive scar, and I was bored and lonely, so I went over there for the last few minutes of lunch to say hi to him, since we didn't see much of each other that day. So I threw out my trash and stuff, and then I went over to his table.

"Now, let me tell you, I wasn't a strange looking girl. I was a normal girl with brown hair and brown eyes and I was kind of tall when I was younger, and a little big boned looking, and it's not like I was fat or anything, but I was sorta, and I had bigger tits than pretty much every girl in my grade, so I had that going for me. So, I went over to Zuko and Sokka and sat down and said, 'Hey Sok.' And then Sokka was kind of blushing and looking uncomfortable and Zuko looked to me and gave me this really emo look, like he was trying to bore a whole into my soul. So, Zuko stared at me, but I tried to ignore it and talk to Sokka, and the first thing I said to Zuko, honest to Agni, was 'What the fuck are you staring at?' He looked at me again but this time the look looked more like, 'Who put you on the planet?' And that was it.

"Then, the next day, Sokka invited me over, and I kinda hoped he would tell me he like me or something-"

"What?" Toph slipped in coolly.

"I was fourteen. So anyway, Sokka and I are getting ready to walk to his house, and Zuko comes out of nowhere and then somehow, Zuko is now coming with us too. So we get to his house, and no one else is home, and he three of us go into Sokka's room. At first we were all just sitting there, wondering what to say to each other and Sokka finally said something, but it was just that he had to do some chores and stuff around the house and he was going to leave us there by ourselves for like twenty or so minutes.

"After he's gone, Zuko and I just kind of sat there on other sides of the room not talking to each other. After a few horrendous seconds I turned to Zuko and said, 'Sorry.' He shrugged and muttered, 'I've heard worse.' And we sat there for a while and I introduced myself and we started talking about what middle schools we went to, and then I started talking about my family a bit and he didn't talk about his at all. You know I've never met anyone in his family?"

"Not even Iroh?" Toph asked, yawning.

"Who?" Yori asked.

Toph furrowed her brow. "Really? But Zuko loves Iroh."

Yori looked down and pouted a bit, and then Toph said, "Continue!"

"Yeah, sorry. So, we were talking and we were getting off well, and then Sokka came back, and then later we left. Zuko offered to walk me home, and then we kind of stumbled around like teenagers. It was kind of late, and it sort of felt like we were on a date and I wanted to kiss him so bad, and then you know, he dropped me off at my door, and then he left. So then, a few days later Zuko and I have this sort of ritual where we go to Sokka's house and then we walk to my house together. So, one day, a couple of months later, Zuko and I had to leave early because Sokka's sister came home early from her dance class, and we bolted.

"So we walked home but it was really cool and Zuko wasn't wearing many layers, and he wasn't wearing and gloves, but I was wrapped up like a present and I kept on asking him if he was cold, and he said he wasn't. We were like, seven blocks from my house at that point, and I took off one of my mittens, and put it on his hand as quick as I could, and held his freezing, exposed hand in mine, 'cause I saw it in a shojo manga and it was so cute. So, we got to my house and we were still holding hands and no one was supposed to be home at that time so I just invited him in. So we hang out and I made tea, and even though he didn't drink it, I thought he was the cutest thing on earth, and hen, before he left, I gave him my other mitten to wear home, and then I totally kissed him right before he left, and then slammed the door in his face, ran upstairs, and wrote about all of that in my diary."

Yori looked up at Toph and she was sleeping on the couch, and she rolled her eyes. Yori stood up, and went into her room and grabbed the blanket from the bed and draped it over her sleeping friend.

Yori didn't know what to do after that. She decided to take a shower and change. After her warm and lovely shower, Yori walked into the kitchen. She was getting hungry, but Agni, she did not want to cook. Yori had lied to Zuko a bit. It's not that she couldn't cook, she could cook rather well, but she hated cooking. It was time consuming and made your clothes smell and wasn't all that rewarding.

But she did cook, she found a box of cake mix in one of the food bags and a cupcake pan and cups, so she decided to bake some cupcakes to occupy her time.  
>The cupcakes took way more than the allotted prep time and got her clothes totally messy and she had to take another shower while they baked to get the batter out of her hair.<p>

Everyone trudged into the house while she was in the shower. She walked into her room to see Zuko wiping his face with a washcloth.

"Hey," she said, reaching into her bag for clothes (she brought her underwear into the bathroom). "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, Aang and I ruled out there."

"I told Toph how we met and stuff in high school."

"The mitten story?" he asked, putting it down to get ready for a shower.

"Yup. It's even cuter now. It was quite adorable. Anyway, I made cupcakes while you guys were out there. I should go check on them. Have a nice shower."

He nodded and then she left the room. Katara was in the kitchen peering into the oven.

"Did you make these?" Katara asked.

"Yeah," Yori said, getting a glass of water.

"Do you mind if I ice them?"

"'Course not. I don't want to because I'll probably fuck them all up."

Katara winced at the language. "Thanks."

They stood in the kitchen awkwardly for a while and then Katara pushed past her to 'Go to the bathroom' even though Zuko was taking a shower, and the water wasn't exactly quiet. Yori placed her water cup on the counter and walked into the living room.

Aang was sitting on the couch wearing a pair of glasses, reading something from his laptop. Sokka was sitting on the other couch across from Aang. His face was red and he was still wearing gloves.

She sat next to him and placed her hands on his face. He turned to look at her. "What're you doing?"

"You're cold."

He blinked once, twice, a third time. "You're nice."

She giggled. "Yeah, I know." They sat like that for a few seconds. "I told Toph about how we always used to go to your house after school and stuff. It was fun."

"Oh yeah?"

"She fell asleep."

He laughed, "She's always tired nowadays."

"It'll only be like that for a few more months. It'll be done soon." She kissed her best friend on the cheek and then put her hand back onto his face. It wasn't even cold anymore. He kissed her on the cheek too.

"You two are weird," Aang said, not even looking up from his work.

Yori and Sokka laughed.


	14. Curses And Cupcakes

-Curses and Cupcakes-

"Your cupcakes were good," Zuko said, getting into bed next to Yori. Yori kind of flipped away from him. He furrowed his brow, "Are you mad at me?"

"No." It wasn't very convincing.

"What did I do?"

"Nothing. Go to bed."

"What's wrong?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I think we should break up." Yori said.

He groaned. This happened a few times a month. "Will you shut up?"

She shook her head, "But I'm crazy! Wouldn't you want a nice, normal girl like Katara?"

"If I wanted someone normal, I would be with Katara still." He kissed her shoulder.

"But think about it! Just think about it, for like, a second."

"Okay, well, I wouldn't constantly get cursed out whenever Katara's had a drop of alcohol and I wouldn't have to worry about her being sick at any point, and scaring me to death and-"

"Oh fuck off," Yori said, pulling the blanket over her head.

"Hey, hey, hey," Zuko said, laughing. He tried to pull the blanket from over her and decided instead to meet her under the covers. "Hey."

"What?" she muttered, not turning around.

"Stop it, okay. I don't want anyone else other than you, which is why I don't have anyone else other than you, okay?"

Yori rolled a little farther away.

Zuko sat up, causing the blanket to be pulled from her grip. He rolled her over so she was on her back and looking at him. "Are you done?"

She nodded. He winced at her watery eyes.

"It's okay. You're okay," he said, laying down and then pulling her into his arms.

"Stop it. Seriously, just let me go."

"No," he said, squeezing her a little bit. He kissed her forehead. She wriggled and squirmed until he finally let her go. "What are you doing?"

She pouted. "Leave it, okay?"

Zuko groaned. "What? Are you going to go off to Sokka?"

She sat up, "What?"

"I saw you guys earlier, with your hands on his face, and then you kissed him and it was totally weird."

"He's my best friend! You kiss Katara on the head and the cheek or whatever."

"Yeah, but I'm not in love with her!"

"And I'm not in love with him-Oh for fucks sakes I'm going into the living room."

"You're not wearing clothes," he said, indicating to her body, clad in only underwear.

"Fuck you!" she yelled, slamming the door and angrily stomping into the living room.

She threw herself onto the couch and pushed a pillow onto her face and screamed.  
>"What's your damage?" Toph asked, standing in the hallway.<p>

"You couldn't hear us?" Yori asked.

"Not the specifics. It was mostly just muffled voices. Well muffled voices, until you opened the door and screamed at him."

Yori blushed. "I'm a mess, aren't I?"

Toph's smiled and nodded. "You want a cupcake?"

Yori shook her head.

"Why not? 'Cause you're all fucked up in the head?"

"Toph!" Sokka scolded from the doorway of his bedroom, he walked out into the living room.

"No, she's right-"

"You're not fucked up-" Sokka began.

"No, she's right, I am."

"Go away Sokka, this is girl time," Toph grumbled.

Sokka muttered something about neither of them actually being girls, so Toph hit him in the head and he retreated into his room.

Toph handed Yori a cupcake anyway.

Yori swirled her finger around in the icing. "Am I meant to tell you what happened now?"

Toph nodded, "Yup!"

Yori groaned. "I told him we should break up, 'cause I'm weird and he's normal and you know, he should be with someone more normal, like Katara-"

Toph laughed, "Katara's not normal, she's a kind of a manipulative shrew. I love her and everything, but it's the truth."

Yori giggled, swirling the icing around more. "Well, yeah, so then he was like, 'Oh I don't want anyone else but you!' and shit like that, until I just told him to leave me alone. Then, you know, he didn't and then be asked me if I-" Yori stopped, realizing who she was talking to.

"Never mind. Why don't you go to bed? I'm gonna sleep out here."

"No, finish the story!"

"It doesn't fucking matter!" Yori grabbed a napkin and wiped the frosting from her finger and smushed the rest of the uneaten cupcake in the napkin as well.

Toph looked weary if anything. "Fine, whatever," and then she got up and left. 

"Aren't you cold?" Sokka asked the next morning.

"Yup. I'm freezing my ass off," Yori said, still mostly asleep.

"Go take a shower," he said, pushing her feet off of the couch and sitting in her feet's seat.

"No."

He looked at her. "You wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"Well, do you want me to write me a letter like we used to?"

"No."

"Sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay," Sokka said, and then he stood and left, but not before saying, "But put some clothes on."

She laughed and then jumped up and walked to her room.

Zuko was sitting up in bed, looking at his phone. They ignored each other as she got dressed.

"Are you still mad?" Yori asked. She grabbed a T-shirt and pulled it over her head. Zuko shrugged.

"Can I go over there?" she asked. He shrugged again. She ran over and jumped onto the bed.

"I'm sorry."

He looked at her, putting down his phone.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, don't be mad okay?" she leaned up, waiting for him to kiss her back.

"Yori-"

"What? Just kiss me!"

"Yori-"

"Are you really mad? Seriously, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"You've got to stop doing that."

"Yeah, I know, I'm horrible freak, just accept my apology okay?"

"I do, but you've got to stop saying all the stuff and being so irrational and standoffish and everything."

She nodded. "I get it, I get it!"

He rolled his eyes and kissed his eager girlfriend.


	15. Underwear and Under Eating

-Underwear and Under Eating-

"Hey," Yori said. She had finally arrived at Zuko's house. Her boots and hair were covered in snow.

"Hey! Wow, you're a mess, how bad is it out there?" Zuko asked, gaping at his girlfriend

"Awful," she said, pushing past him. She kicked off her shoes and left them in the foyer. "Can I just hibernate here until spring?"

He laughed, "Hm, two months in bed, sounds perfect."

She smiled and kissed him 'hello'. She took off her coat, and he took it from her and hung it on the coat rack.

"Well since I knew I wouldn't want to go outside again until the snow was gone, I brought some food here."

"Oh good, what'd you bring?" Zuko asked, ushering her to the couch. He took the bag of food.

"Curried potatoes!" she exclaimed, slipping a little in her thick socks.

"Bless your soul, I love curried potatoes!"

"Who doesn't? Curried potatoes, rice, and French fries 'cause I saw it on the menu and really wanted them. And, I imagined you would have wine so I didn't buy any."

"Oh, yeah, I do. I'll go get plates and wine and... ketchup."

"We don't need plates, Lover Boy, we just need utensils. Unless you don't want to eat out of the same container as me-"

"No, no I'd love too! I just forget how cool you are sometimes, not like a bunch of other girls I used to date."

"Just call me Popsicle!" Yori said, flopping down onto the couch. Zuko ventured off into the kitchen. "Do you want to watch TV?"

"Sure," Zuko said, trying to balance the wine bottle and utensils in one hand and the ketchup and wine glasses in the other.

When Yori saw Zuko walk out of the kitchen, she stopped flipping through channels and relieved him of some of the things he was holding.

"What were you watching?" he asked, not quite sure of what he was looking at on the TV.

"Nothing," she said, turning off the TV.

Zuko sat down and poured them each a glass of wine.

"Open," Yori said, holding a forkful of spicy potato over her hand and waving it around Zuko for a second. Zuko closed his mouth around the fork and ate the potato.

"It's good," he said, placing the wine bottle on the coffee table. They fed each other in a chew-induced silence.

Yori reached over for her wine glass. "So, what are you doing at work recently?"

"Just meetings. I swear at my job we have more meetings than anywhere else. We have to have meetings in order to have other meetings in order to make tiny insignificant changes."

Yori giggled, "Wow, sounds like immense amounts of fun! I sure wish I had that job!"

"How about you?"

"Things have been going really well! We've been with the same company for three months now, since October, and we think we might actually get hired by that company full-time. Everyone in my team says we will."

"Good for you!" Zuko said, clinking their glasses together. Yori giggled.

Yori noticed the dark color of the sky behind Zuko's head. "It's night already?"

"No, it's only seven, it's just winter," Zuko said.

Yori crawled over to Zuko and tangled her fingers in his hair. "We can pretend like it's night-" she began.

"No," Zuko protested. "I'm too full."

Yori pouted. "Really?" Yori asked.

"Yeah," Zuko said.

"That's awful!"

Zuko laughed loudly. "I'll make it up to you later."

"With interest?"

"Sure."

"Double interest?"

"Shut up." 

Yori's eyes flicked open as she stirred. She looked around and realized that she was on

Zuko's couch. They had fallen asleep there. She stood up, causing Zuko's arm to fall from her waist. She pulled off her sweater and draped it over Zuko's side. She went to the bathroom and then walked into the kitchen for a glass of cold water. She slowly sipped it as she walked back into the living room. She put her water glass next to her still almost full wine glass from last night. Yori squatted down next to the couch and poked Zuko's face.

"Hey, hey wake up!" she said, poking faster. He began to scrunch his face up, causing Yori to poke him in the eye.

"Ow!" she said, jumping up into a sitting position and rubbing his eye.

"Oh, baby I'm sorry!"

"I only have one good eye, you can't ruin it!" he joked.

She smiled and kissed the hand that was covering his eye before she stood. "Oh shut it you're perfect."

"What time is it?" he asked, "We fell asleep at like seven."

"It's six," she said.

"I don't have work today."

"Me neither."

"So do you want to hang out all day?" Zuko asked walking with her to the kitchen.

"Sure!" she said, jumping onto his back, making him carry her.

"Do you want cereal?"

"Nope," she said into his ear.

"Toast?"

"Nope."

"Eggs?"

"Nope."

"Sausage?"

She laughed into his ear.

"Oh grow up!"

"Nope." She kissed him on the temple and jumped down from his back and opened his fridge. She was still chuckling to herself. "Let's have all of that!" she beamed. "Minus the cereal because I really do hate cereal. I'll fry up the egg and the sausage. You make the toast."

He rolled his eyes, "Wow, what a spectacular job! Do I get to do it all by myself? For real?"

"Shut your mouth."

And soon, three arguments, four smashed eggs and eight burnt pieces of toast later, Yori and Zuko were sitting down at his dining table to eat.

"This is the first time we've ever cooked together," she mused, cutting her egg, "It was fun." Yori held out her egg laden fork and fed Zuko. "They came out good, right?"

He nodded. "Stop feeding me your food and eat it yourself Yori. I have a plate of food right here for me to eat from.

She pouted, "But I like feeding people! Just let me, okay?"

"Well aren't you a spoiled brat?" Zuko asked. She didn't respond with words, she just shoved a cut piece of sausage into his mouth.

"Eat your own food!"

"Shut up and let me feed you," she said, getting bored with his nonsense and sitting on his lap. She kissed him on the cheek, and then on the other cheek and then on the lips. It was slow and deep and she wound her arms around his waist. "Just shut up and let me feed you, okay?"

He nodded and opened his mouth. She giggled.

Yori's plate was empty and Zuko's was still full when she was done feeding him.

"Hey, Zuuks, do you want to go outside?" she asked.

"It's below freezing, I don't want to."

"Then let's take a bath!" she said excitedly, wagging her eyebrows like a madman.

"No, I don't want to do that." He shook his head finally.

"What ever happened to double interest?" Yori pouted.

"I'm not gonna take a bath with you. That's weird, and incredibly not sexy. I used to take baths with Azula! It'll just bring back... memories."

She shrugged, "Wanna get drunk?"

Zuko glared at her. "As tempting as that sounds I usually wait until at least seven in the morning until I get drunk."

She kicked him under the table. "Then what are we going to do?"

"I don't know," he said, drinking his tea.

"Fine. Look, babe, I'm going to go take a shower, and I didn't bring any other clothes, so I'm just going to wear your clothes."

"Is that really necessary?"

"I can walk around naked if you'd prefer."

"No. But I might have some of Katara's old clothes in my room somewhere that you could-"

Yori glared at him. "What? Did you just ask me to wear your stupid ex-girlfriend's clothes? I'm going to pretend you didn't say that and that never happened. I'm going to take my shower now and then wear your clothes."

"Have fun," Zuko said.

"Oh I will," she said. 

Thirty or so minutes later Zuko was watching TV after starting the dishwasher and cleaning the kitchen. Yori walked from the end of the hallway to the living room and stood in front of the TV.

He gaped at his girlfriend. "Are you wearing my underwear?"

She looked down at the pink silk boxers she was wearing. "They were the only thing that fit me." she giggled loudly.

"Wait-Are you wearing your own underwear underneath that?"

Yori giggled louder and shook her head.

He pinched his eyes shut, "Please keep those."

"Calm down Zuko, this isn't that big of a deal."

"You're wearing my underwear!"

"It's not that big of a deal!"

"Underwear is disgusting!"

"Not your underwear. Your underwear is silk, and they're definitely clean, so that not a problem, and I'm pretty sure you had them dry cleaned." He blushed. "Just make sure when you get them dry cleaned again you have the lady do it twice as well, and get rid of every last girlfriend germ," she said sourly.

He looked at her expression, "You're not really upset, are you?"

She shrugged. "It was all that fit me," she muttered.

"Look, I'm sorry but-"

"Is my phone ringing?" she asked, even though she knew full well it was all the way in Zuko's room at the end of the hall.

"I don't think so," Zuko began.

"Oh, well I think I'll go for a nap. Where can I do that?"

"You can sleep in my bed-"

"Just felt the need to ask," she muttered on her way down the hall. 

Yori woke up at three fifteen and had an internal discussion whether or not to get up.

Pros of Being Awake -  
>More banter, and Agni how she loves banter. She was kind of thirsty. Being mobile. That was always a good thing.<p>

Cons of Being Awake -  
>Zuko will find something new to be mad about.<p>

That was about it, really.

At three forty, Yori decided the pros outweighed the cons and jumped out of bed. She walked into the dining room to see Zuko doing work. There was a stack of paper strewn all over the table.

"You're up," Zuko said, looking up at Yori

"Yeah," she said. She hovered around the opposite end of the table as Zuko, not sitting, just swaying.

He got back to flipping through papers for a few moments before he looked at Yori.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything!" she protested.

"I know, sit down. You're making me nervous."

She shook her head.

"Are you really still upset with me?" he exhaled.

She just blinked at him. Once. Twice. And then a third time.

"Look I'm sorry okay?" he stood up and walked around the table to hug her.

As he was trying to put his arms around her, her stomach growled loudly.

He laughed, "What do you want to eat?"

"Nothing," she said, pulling away from him. "I'm not hungry."

"Of course you're hungry! Come on; let's see what I've got in the kitchen."

"I'm not fucking hungry," she repeated in a hostile tone.

"I just heard your stomach," he said, "Come on, I'll feed you."

"I am not hungry. And I want to go home."

"Home?" he asked. "It's still so snowy."

"I don't care. I need to go."

"Fine, just please eat first."

"No. On this, I will not budge."

"You don't have to budge; you're so thin now the wind could just blow you away."

"What?" she said, looking up at him. "What did you say?"

"Forget it, just eat-"

"You're such an asshole!" she yelled. She stomped out of the room and into his bedroom.

She slammed the door before he could follow her into the room. She locked the door and grabbed her phone and her bag and put on a pair of socks, and she couldn't stop crying. Yori pushed the door open and stomped past Zuko to get to the front door, ignoring his protests as she slipped into her Wellingtons.

"Yori where are you going? You're not even dressed!"

"Leave me alone!" she screamed. Yori pushed open the front door and ran to the elevator.

Once she was inside she took out her phone and called Sokka.

"Hey Yori."

"H-Hi," she hiccupped.

"What's wrong? Where are you?"

"Zuko's apartment. Can you please pick me up?"

"What happened?"

"Just come and pick me up!"

"Yeah, I'm gonna call a cab, I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Get here faster, I feel awful just-" the dial tone rang in Yori's ear and she pulled it away from her ear and looked at it. "What the fuck?" she asked to no one in particular. When she got out of the elevator, in the lobby there was a fountain and she threw her phone into it.

"Miss what are you doing?" the man behind the desk asked. "You can't just throw things into the fountain!"

Yori completely ignored him and walked out of the door into the cold. She stood there, even though all she was wearing was a shirt of Zuko's, her thick coat, Wellington's and a pair of thin boxers. Her legs felt like heavy icicles. And she was mad. She was steaming mad. She was mad at Zuko for being such an ass, and she was even madder at Sokka for hanging up on her. What the hell? He knew how she was, and how crazy she could act sometimes and he just hung up on her? There was no way she was going with him anywhere. She only waited out in the cold so she could figure out what to do.

After a few minutes Sokka jumped out of the cab and ran to her.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, taking her cold hand and pulling her to the cab.

"Why did you hang up on me?" she asked, hysterically trying to resist. She flapped her arms and tried her hardest to pull from him.

"It was an accident. I tried to call you back. Your phone was turned off."

"Oh," she said, getting into the car next to him. She wiped her eyes, "I threw it into the fountain."

"The fountain? Really Yori. Agni you're a mess sometimes." Sokka held onto her hands. "You're freezing, what happened?"

"Zuko kept telling me that I wasn't eating enough or whatever, and told me I was too thin and-" she had to stop because there was a lump the size of a golf ball in her throat and she couldn't speak.

Sokka reached over to her and pulled her into a hug. "You want to come over and hang out with Toph and me?" Yori just sniffled in his ear. "Toph might want to eat a lot though, so you might be kind of uncomfortable."

Yori laughed. "I think I'll be fine."

"I'm just glad you're okay," he said as he pulled away. Yori grabbed onto his hand and squeezed it all the way to his house. 

"What the hell are you wearing?" Toph asked as Yori and Sokka walked in.

"I slept over at Zuko's house and never got to change or anything," Yori blushed as she walked into the apartment.

"Yeah but you look a mess. Are you wearing his underwear?"

"Oh shut up," Yori said.

"Do you want to take a shower? You can change into my clothes if you want."

"But you're a balloon!" Yori said. Her eyes widening, she indicated to Toph's massive expanse of a stomach.

Toph narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to ignore that, go take a shower."

"Thanks."

Ten or so minutes later Yori came out of the shower and changed into some of Toph's pre-maternity clothes. They didn't quite fit her right since Toph was a lot shorter than Yori, who wasn't really that tall anyway. She walked into the living room.

"You can't eat around her! Just calm down, it'll only be for a few hours-"

"Look," Toph said, grabbing Sokka's sweater collar, "I am carrying your stupid baby, who is hungry all the fucking time, now, when I am hungry, you had better believe that eating will be done."

"It's okay Sokka, I won't go ape shit if she eats around me."

"Good. Now, Sokka go and make me a sandwich."

"Yes," Sokka said, getting up to do exactly that.

"So, what do you want to do?" Toph asked Yori as she sat on the couch next to her.

"I don't know. What do you guys normally do when it's snowy out?"

"Watch movies," Toph said, standing up and waddling her belly to the bookshelf across the room. "Do you want to watch Pirate Radio?" Toph asked as she took it out of the bookshelf.

"Yes!" Sokka said from the kitchen. "That movie is so good; you'll like it, Yor."

"Pirate Radio it is," Yori said.

Toph waddled back over to couch and sat next to Yori. She took her hand as nonchalantly as she could and began to skip the coming attractions and being very upset at the piracy warnings. Once Sokka came back with her sandwich, iced tea and chips, Toph let go of Yori's hand to eat, and Sokka took her other hand.

Deep into the movie, they were all engrossed in the plot when Yori squeezed onto Sokka's hand.

He looked down at his hand and then at Yori, "What's up?"

"Can I have something to eat? I'm kind of hungry."

He smiled brightly at her, "Do you want what Toph had?"

She thought for a moment before nodding and saying, "Yeah, but I might not be able to eat it all."

"That's fine, just eat what you can," and then Sokka left the room to prepare another meal. "Toph," he called over the movie, "Do you want a granola bar?"

"Yes please! Give me the chocolate one with raspberry."

"'Course," he said."Sokka's really nice."

"He got this nice when I got pregnant. I guess it's just because if he doesn't do what I tell him to, I'll just play he baby card. He's been a lot less sarcastic lately too. Pregnancy is the best way to get what you want."

Yori laughed. Sokka walked out into the living room with Yori's glass of water and sandwich and chips. He sped back into the kitchen to retrieve the granola bar.

Yori eyed the heavily laden plate with a defeated expression. She could never eat that-  
>Sokka took a chip from her plate and ate it.<p>

"You read online about how you can get people like me to eat if they see you eating, didn't you?"

He blushed but didn't say anything, he just ate another chip.

"Okay, okay," she said, mimicking his actions.


	16. Snow And Juno

-Snow And Juno-

Yori smudged over another thick line to give her drawing a shadowed line. Yori really loved sketching. She was drawing a picture of... well, she didn't really know what it was. There was a girl in a room with large windows that didn't really let in any light and she was sitting at a small table with a few pathetically small present boxes.

Agni, Yori was sure acting emo.

She closed her sketch book and looked around her apartment. It was really tidy, which was strange because Yori really hated cleaning. The snow was being plowed in her street and she could hear the truck. There were also a few loud kids playing in the snow. She wished she was a loud kid who could play in the snow.

She had been so bored since she got into a fight with Zuko. She hadn't been able to know I he had been calling her since she had been dependent on her cell phone since she moved out of her parents house that she had never needed to buy a landline and never did. She sat down on her couch with a heavy thud. She sighed, she was getting big again. Zuko was such a liar.

The intercom buzzed and she slid in her socks over to the intercom. "Who is it?"

"Zuko," Zuko said.

Her heart actually skipped a beat before it began to pound in overdrive. "I'm buzzing you through," she muttered before unlocking the door.

It took him about five minutes to climb the seven flights of stairs before he was pounding on her door. She opened it slowly and the first thing he said was;

"I brought your phone. The guy behind the front desk is kind of mad with you, I wouldn't recommend going back when he's on shift." He handed her the waterlogged phone wrapped in a paper towel. "I guess this is why you wouldn't return my calls?"

"Maybe so," Yori said, letting him into the apartment.

"It's still really hot in here. You really should tell your super to fix the heater."

"Yeah, I should."

He took his shoes off and went to sit on her couch. Yori figured her couldn't feel the uncomfortableness in the room.

"So did you come here to return my phone?" she asked. She put the broken electronic onto her counter.

"Well I came here to apologize and this seemed like a good excuse to come over here. I didn't really know if I should come."

"Oh well then maybe you should hurry up and apologize so you can leave."

"Yori, don't be like this."

"Be like what Zuko?" she asked, almost livid at this point.

"Yori, I am sorry that I said what I said about your weight. It was childish and stupid and rude, so please forgive me."

Yori walked to the front door and unlocked it. "Yeah, I forgive you, now can you please leave?" she asked, holding the door open.

"Well, no I can't please leave now, but I will go over there and give you a huge hug," Zuko said, standing up from the couch and pulling his girlfriend onto his arms. Yori squirmed for a little bit before finally giving up and letting Zuko hug her.

"So now what do we do?" she asked when he first let go of her.

"I don't know, so you want to go for a drive or something?" he asked.

"No, it's snowy as shit," she said. Yori walked into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. "And I told Toph I would meet her in a half hour to hang out because Sokka had to go to work."

"Oh," Zuko said. "Can I come?"

"Probably not."

"Toph wouldn't mind," he said flippantly.

"Fine, ignore me completely," she muttered under her breath.

She walked into her bedroom to get changed. She changed from her thin home clothes into a thick wool sweater and dark jeans. The sweater had reindeer and Christmas lights. Festive.

"Zuko," she called from her room. "Don't get comfortable. I just put on my winter clothes so if I spend more than five minutes in this sauna of an apartment, I'll die."

He got up from his position on the couch. "Got it."

She rubbed her eyes and walked into the living room. She stepped into her DM's and left the apartment.

"Don't you want a coat?" he asked, putting on his warm jacket.

"Naw, it's only three blocks."

They silently walked in the snow together which would have been incredibly romantic if

Yori wasn't still mad at him. She stuffed her hands into her jean pockets.

From behind the awkward pair a voice called out, "Yori?"

They both turned around to see a tall man trudging towards them.

"Greg?" she asked, squinting and pushing her purple locks from in front of her eyes.

"I thought it was you!" he pulled her into a large hug. "I never thought I'd see you again! How's your sister? Is she still a miserable wretch?"

Yori laughed out loud. "Yup, she'll never change. Have you seen Ned lately?"

"You haven't?"

She shook her head.

Zuko stood off behind her when this exchange took place. Zuko recognized Ned's name as her brother.

"I thought he just moved here," she said, rocking on her heels. Ned was an uncomfortable topic for her.

"Yeah. I can text you his address sometime."

She beamed, and then her smile drooped, "I threw my phone into a fountain though..."

He laughed loudly. "You always were a weird one."

She giggled.

He reached into his pea coat's pocket and pulled out a pen and a few receipts. He put the receipts back into his pocket and smiled, "A writer's always got a pen." He began to scrawl onto her hand. "There, when you get a new phone, call me." he winked at her and walked away.

"Bye Greg!" she called, waving his phone number back and forth.

He waved back, but didn't turn.

Zuko scoffed loudly. She turned to look at him. "What?"

"Who was that piece of meat you were salivating over like an underfed dog?"

"Eloquent. You trying to be more poetic than the writer?"

Truthfully, Zuko was writing that one in his mind since he heard Greg was a writer, but he would never tell Yori. "Shut up."

She giggled, "He's my brother's best friend."

"You're older brother or your younger brother?"

"Ned's my older brother."

"The one that doesn't talk to you?"

She stopped walking to kick the snow in front of her. "Yeah. The one that hates me."

"No one ever said anything about hate."

She rolled her eyes. They arrived at Toph's house and Yori pushed the intercom button.

After a few minutes of waiting for Toph to open the door, she pushed her finger on the button for 8D and held it for twenty some seconds.

"What?" a deep masculine voice boomed from the intercom. "Who the fuck wants to be in my shitty apartment that bad?"

"Sorry!" Yori said letting go of the talk button.

"Who the fuck is this? I'm gonna go downstairs and rip your fucking head off!"

Yori turned to Zuko?

"What the fuck? You don't know what apartment they're in?"

"No! Which is it?"

"8E."

"Shit!" she yelled. "That psycho's gonna kill us!"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "No he's not. He probably won't even really come out."

"Zuko were going to die tonight! And last words?"

He scoffed and pressed 8E.

"You're early-"

The door pushed open and an angry looking man wearing a dirty wife beater and dirtier pants came out. "Were you the two assholes ringing my bell?"

Yori's eyes widened.

"No, but maybe it was the kids who just ran down the block-"

"Was there a girl?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Thanks mate."

Zuko nodded indifferently. The man took down the snowy street.

"Is he barefoot?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah I think so," Yori responded.

Zuko had been holding the door open for he enraged man and now ushered Yori inside.

"Hurry up."

"Shut your face." Yori walked into the old building. "We've got to go up eight flights?"

"There's an elevator."

"There's an elevator?" she asked. This building was almost identical to her apartment.

"But this one is just like mine except not awful!"

Zuko laughed.

"Maybe I'll move here. I've got to move soon anyway because some guy bought my entire building and is kicking everyone out in three months and wants to build condos."

"Really?" Zuko asked. "Is that legal?"

"Who cares, it just gets me out if my lease, which is good because as much as I love my apartment but the building is a shit hole."

Zuko smiled and bravely took her hand. She held onto it so tightly her nails dug into his skin. He couldn't even feel the pain because he was happy. Yori pulled Zuko around the lobby and then he pulled her to the elevator.

They were the only two in the elevator. Yori closed her eyes for a second before saying,

"I've been eating." He looked at her, but she turned away. He broke out into a large stupid grin. He looked at her blushing, turned away face and pressed his lips to her cheek. The elevator opened at the eighth floor and the stepped out and walked to Toph's apartment. Yori loudly rapped on the door. "Open the door Juno!" Zuko snickered.

"Hey!" Toph yelled from the other side of the door. A minute later Toph swung the door open. She gave one look the Zuko and exclaimed, "What the shit are you doing here?"

"He came over and then invited himself here," Yori stated, taking her huge friend into the apartment and walking her into the living room.

"Go home Zuko!" Toph said. She plopped down onto the couch. "We're gonna talk about periods and vaginas and stuff. Strictly girl talk."

"Uhm, you don't even get your period anymore. And if you're going to talk about vaginas I think I'd like to be there for that." Toph flipped him off.

Yori laughed loudly and kissed her boyfriend. "You're really adorable sometimes, Sugarplum."

"I'm adorable all the time."

"You two are disgusting," Toph said. "If you're going to be like this go away."

"Sorry," Yori said, releasing Zuko and hugging Toph. She rubbed Toph's belly. "Your baby is going to be the best kid ever."

"Better than your kids?" Toph asked.

"Of course!" Yori smiled.

Toph kissed her. And then she cried and blamed it on the "fucking baby". 

They stayed at Toph's house until Sokka got back late at night. He looked tired and ill.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, taking off his tie and flopping down onto the couch next to his girlfriend.

"We came to keep Toph company."

"Really? Thank you guys so much. I always think she's too lonely."

"You don't have to thank us!" Yori giggled, "She's our friend!"

He smiled and hugged Yori. "Thanks."

Yori blushed deeply and pulled away from him. "We ordered a pizza earlier, we left some for you. I'll put in the oven before Zuko and I leave."

"You're the best," he smiled, tapping her nose.

"I know! To take a quick shower or something. Relax, okay?"

Sokka nodded. 

Yori watched Sokka walk to the bathroom and did as she said she would. She took the pizza box from the fridge and placed the whole half of the pie into the oven, still in the box.

"Juno, I'm heating up some more for you now. Take it out in fifteen minutes. It's really cold because we put it in the fridge."

"Stop calling me Juno."

"No," she said, walking back to the living room. "Zuko and I have to go now, so make sure you're nice to Sokka when he gets out of the shower, okay?"

She scowled and grabbed onto her sweater sleeve. "Stay 'til he gets out!"

"I really need to get back!"

"No you don't. You live a boring life so stay with me for twenty more minutes."

"Fine," Yori grumbled. She sank down into the couch next to Toph. Zuko chuckled at his friend and girlfriend.

Ten minutes later, Sokka came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a fluffy towel. "You two are still here?"

Yori giggled. "Should we not be?"

"No, that's not it-"

"It's cool, we meant to leave, but Toph made us wait while you showered. She was lonely."

"No I was not!" she growled. Her face gave it away though, she was lonely. His face looked lonely too. Yori's heart cried for the poor couple.

"Look guys, if you ever want to do gross things that you can't do with the kid around once it's born, I'd more than happy to look after it."

Toph kissed Yori again. And cried some more.

Fucking babies. 

Zuko collapsed onto Yori's couch the second they got back. "You were really sweet to Toph today."

"I'm always really sweet!" she said, still taking off her shoes and sweater by the door.

"Yeah," he laughed, "But you were exceptionally sweet today. You're a really good person." She blushed. "I'm really glad you're my girlfriend."

"Oh Zuko!" she squealed, jumping onto him. She nuzzled her face into his neck and peppered kissed there. His hands held onto her waist as she did this. He used on hand to pull off the shirt she was wearing. "You too," she said, taking his shirt off for him. She began to unbuckle his belt and very soon, everything stopped being so PG-13 rated.

Yori woke a few hours later. Zuko was awake too. He stared at her. "That's creepy," she said sleepily.

He laughed and kissed her. It wasn't a light kiss, but it wasn't heavy like the ones last night.

"It's still early isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, go back to bed. I'm going to keep being creepy whether or not you like it."

She snorted and her eyes flitted shut.


End file.
